The Loss of Order
by EhloraDhanon
Summary: This is a Super Junior fanfic with Leeteuk, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Kyuhyun and three OC's taking place in a fantasy world where six of them control a different element and the seventh is a neutralizer. Their task: defeat the tyrant who controls all the elements.
1. Chapter 1

Long ago, the power of the elements was given by the gods to six individuals to use as they needed and to help maintain the order of balance within their world. A seventh figure was given the power to neutralize their power to keep things from getting out of control. In their time, they were able to accomplish much good and they helped the people to move forward in civilization and technology. The seven persons though, were not immortal and after a time, they disappeared from the course of history. Years passed by and life carried on much as it always had. Occasionally, another would rise who carried the power of an element but without the balance of the others and especially the neutralizer, each new elementalist was consumed by the power they wielded. Sometimes, it took time, hence the history of tyrants who reigned with great power but all their lives ended in violent deaths. Now, though, one has risen with the combined strength of all elements and a neutralizer at his side. He has started a very aggressive campaign to conquer the world and has made much progress since his first attacks.

He has gathered an army run by fear and has already declared himself a god. With no opposing elements to slow him down, his conquest has been unmatched and unrivaled. Enrhyll will stop at nothing to achieve his goal of world domination; and even if the people refuse to acknowledge him and his godhood, he has maintained that if he cannot have the world, then no one shall.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the world secluded from his machinations, exists a quiet retreat where a powerful secret has been guarded fiercely for generations. In the farthest reaches of the mountains, past the bitter cold and in a valley secluded from the rest of civilization, lie the bodies of the original elementalists. Preserved in ornate sarcophagi, they have rested, their spirits and the power within dormant until the need should come again for their strength. Their bodies are no longer useful and all that truly remains is the power of the spirit and to that end, keepers have been trained each generation to be ready should they need vessels for their power once more.

The neutralizers have all come from one family where in each generation, a female individual is sent to live and to train in the use of her ability. It is a precaution that is strictly followed so that there will always be one ready, should the elementalists rise again. It is a little known secret that the Silverberg family is directly descended from the first neutralizer and Summer is the chosen of her generation to fill that role. The would-be elementalists are sent soon after birth, pledge-children of the pact extolled by their ancestors to maintain the line. They are the first born children of their generation in the families descended from the original elementalists, sent to the distant Northsage Monastery to study the use of the powers that might one day be theirs. It was not a choice any of them had been given, but they had come to terms with the situation over time.

"Hurry. Hurry," Leeteuk hissed, ushering the six persons before him on. "The headmaster has been calling for us," he explained quickly as he straightened his loose, tan colored robes and pat his hair, the light brown strands jutting forward and slightly into his deep chestnut colored eyes.

Eunhyuk groaned as he raised a hand to cover one side of his face, "Not another lecture…"

Siwon put an arm around the slightly shorter man's shoulders and winked, "Not that it would do you any good." Kyuhyun snickered at the exchange but didn't say anything else, focusing instead on touching up his own feathered black hair where a few stray strands tickled his eyebrows framing intense, dark brown eyes.

The three girls sighed and shook their heads. "Come on then," Kharin shrugged, her braided pale chestnut colored hair bouncing on her back. "Let's just get it over with." Confidently, she led the way and the others followed, with no small help from Leeteuk who brought up the rear. Eleanara and Summer nodded in tandem with her thought and slipped themselves into the middle of the pack, the former near the rear and the latter closer to the center. Today, the walls of the monastery seemed slightly different and nervous eyes traced the decorations and smooth ceiling. The walls of the monastery held few secrets for them as they had lived there nearly their entire lives. None of them remembered their family or had any friends outside of here and it could have been a very lonely existence, but they all had each other and the other students who resided here. That was not to say that they always got along just fine, but they made it work, because they had to.

Eunhyuk was perpetually pulling pranks and being silly but he was also one that almost always kept them laughing. Kyuhyun had a voice they could all appreciate and it helped to lighten their day when he chose to use it, though it could be equally caustic when he wanted it to be. Siwon was the tallest of the group and among the more protective too, sometimes overly so, but he was always quick with a hug or a hand if anyone needed either. Leeteuk was the, more or less, self-proclaimed leader and he always worried that they would not be ready should they be called upon but for all his harrying, he was the most dependable of the group. Among the girls, Kharin was the leader figure and typically said what was on her mind but she had amazing insight and tended to see the bigger picture more often than most of the group. Eleanara was one of the quieter ones but she had her moments too. Even more so than Siwon, she was protective of them, though she was the smallest as well. Summer was another fighter; self-assured in her abilities and quick to help keep the others in line when they took it a step too far.

All in all, they meshed relatively well, which was good as their interactions with the other persons in the monastery were minimal to say the least. Among those their own age, they did have some relations, but nothing extensive and few close friendships, if any. Most didn't want to get too close in case the time did come for them to be called. Neither were their instructors exactly the friendly types and the rest of the students here had come of their own volition or their family's shame. The Northsage monastery was a place where one could forget their past or work towards a more enlightened future, but it was hard to get to so only a very few made it here. As such, the monastery was also remarkably self-sufficient, needing infrequent supplies from the village at the base of the mountain pass.

Kharin pushed open the large double doors that led to the inner hall the headmaster always called them to when in attendance, and the rest filed in after her, coming up short when they saw him in full regalia. "We're here!" Leeteuk announced, coming around from behind them and then pausing as he took in the scene. His eyes widened and he looked back at the group in surprise and some trepidation. There were only a handful of reasons why Headmaster Yoogin would call them before him dressed as he was now.

All seven of the group fell quiet and stared, nervous hands playing with the fabric of their robes, all of the same uniform color. "Trainees," Yoogin began, surveying them with his ancient gray eyes. The wrinkles in his face sagged slightly when he blinked, white eyebrows following the motion tiredly. He tapped his gnarled oak staff on the stone floor once and nodded. "It is time." Without another word, the stone door in the floor in front of him slowly creaked open, sounding of stone grating on stone. With all the grace of his station, Yoogin headed down the stairs where wall sconces lit up as he passed by, the hem of his off-white robe dragging on the steps behind him as he descended. The staff and the ornate headpiece he wore cast shadows along the wall that moved eerily in the firelight.

Uncertainly, the group moved toward the open portal as one and peered down into the lit hallway. Headmaster Yoogin was already a good ways ahead of them, but it would not take them long to catch up…once they took that first step anyway. "At least it's not a lecture," Summer shrugged, looking from face to face, waiting to see who would take the first step.

"Well," Leeteuk said at the same time Kharin did. They laughed nervously and she tipped her head to him to go first. He smiled and nodded dubiously. "Let's go." Nervously, he took his first step and started down the chilly walkway, one hand trailing along the cold stone walls as he walked. The rest fell in behind with Eleanara following first, Kyuhyun and Summer next, with Siwon, Eunhyuk and Kharin bringing up the rear.

Just to see if she could, as they passed the next wall sconce, Summer reached up and extinguished the firelight. Her grin of triumph was immediately doused when the group all turned at her, "Summer!" as they were flooded in darkness at that spot. They had light before them and behind them but nothing where they stood in shadow.

"Sorry," she cringed, reaching back up and removing the neutralization. "I just wanted to see," she muttered, looking at them in annoyance. Her ability had been apparent since the time she could walk and she had been encouraged to practice it as often as possible so that she might well be prepared if the time came. Natural elements were harder to neutralize than created ones, or so she had been told, but simple lights were no problem.

A sigh reached them from the back. "Come on guys. We don't have time for this," Kharin reminded them with a look ahead, her green eyes sharp and wary. Being at the top of the staircase, relatively speaking, it was easy to see they still had a ways to go.

"She's right," Kyuhyun remarked, looking around. "We've played here enough." His gaze touched Summer and then passed over her as he looked at Leeteuk in the lead, to Summer's annoyance. Visibly, she fumed next to him but when the group started moving again, she followed along with the rest. They were all nervous of what was to come, so despite whatever feelings they may have had, they all ended up being very close to each other. By the time they reached the platform at the bottom, they were all holding hands in one long chain. Their grips tightened when they had a chance to look around and they could see the six solid bronze sarcophagi that held the bodies of those they were to be the substitutes for. Each one had a statue and a nameplate at the head of the sarcophagus so that they could all be recognized easily. Behind each statue was another wall sconce so the room was considerably warmer and brighter than the hallway had been.

A silent sigh escaped them as they stood in awe of the magnitude of the room before them. Vaulted ceilings rose high above and on the roof of the interior was an extravagant painting depicting the six persons as they had been in life, drawn against the backdrop of their corresponding element. In the case of the neutralizer, they had but to look on the floor to notice the image of a woman with her arms spread wide as if to embrace them. She had wavy black hair that curled around her shoulders and vibrant honey colored eyes that smiled at them through the imagery. She was wearing the same tan colored robes they themselves wore now, with a braided sash of the six elemental colors tied at her waist. Her hood was pulled back and the sleeves of her robe had slid back to reveal slender, delicate hands and arms.

"I knew she was a woman," Summer whispered to herself, earning another glance from the rest of the group.

"Her name was Sinrielle and she was a priestess of the elemental order. Even before the elements were given to us, we honored the elements as the fundaments of life," Yoogin explained reverently as he regarded the group before him. He sincerely hoped they would be up to the task ahead of them. Resolutely, he turned his attention from the group and reviewed the sarcophagi that had called to him just this day. Every headmaster waited for the call, a clarion sound in their head that refused to go away until it was answered. The signal had finally stopped now that they had arrived and he could relax for just a minute more.

"Sir?" Leeteuk asked into the relative silence, his voice carrying easily over the sound of the flickering flames.

"Yes Leeteuk?" Yoogin asked with a backwards glance.

He gulped, suddenly the center of attention again. "What would you have us do now?" Briefly, he shrugged at the others as they weren't helping any.

"You know what elements you have trained to take over," he explained, gesturing to the circular indents at the foot of each sarcophagus. "Summer," he called when the rest started to move. "You need only remain where you stand there," he assured her as she slowly relinquished her grip on both Siwon and Kyuhyun. They looked at her uncertainly but had to focus on the plaques that named each person and indicated which element they had controlled.

The elements followed the pattern of light, earth, fire, water, wind and shadow with the corresponding elementalists named as Sungmin, Shindong, Heechul, Donghae, Ryeowook and Yesun. Hands were at last freed as each individual had to make their way to the appropriate circle and none of them were within arm's reach of the others.

Having been trained in the path of light, Eleanara took the first circle and stood before the tall figure in front of her. Her curly, golden blonde hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail with a wooden clip so that her pale face and hazel green eyes were easy to see. Nervously, she looked around while Leeteuk took the circle next to her. Just under half a foot taller than her, he stared at the statue before him, his reddish brown hair framing his face artfully in uneven strands. His deep chestnut eyes were focused intently before him so he didn't see who stood in the circles beside him. The equally tall Kyuhyun took the next circle and smoothed his feathered black hair down and looked around with uncertain dark brown eyes. He caught the gaze of Siwon beside him who stood about two finger lengths taller than him. Siwon had cut his dark hair shorter than the rest but what was left was still wavy and perpetually looked slightly tousled. He shrugged at the other man, with eyes the color of freshly turned soil reflecting his own uncertainty. Behind him, a slightly shorter and energetic Eunhyuk stepped into his circle, fidgeting constantly. The bangs of his bright blonde hair teased his eyebrows, making his soft brown eyes glance up in consternation. Uncertainly, he looked to either side and smiled at the equally tall Kharin who returned one and took a deep breath. Kharin gave him a thumbs up and then looked at her statue, threading an errant strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. It had worked itself free from her braid and now tickled her face. Her green eyes crinkled in annoyance before she cast a curious glance back at Summer who regarded them all from her position in the center. Garbed as they were, she seemed odd by herself, her straight red hair and pale blue eyes gleaming in the firelight.

As the six trainees all stepped into place, a gentle humming sound started to come from the sarcophagi as the headmaster took his place at the pedestal between fire and water. There was a small table with a book on it and it was this that he opened and began to read from, his voice quiet and reverent. None of them could understand the words but a picture began to form in their minds as he recounted the tale of their predecessors. The words painted an image of what the elementalists used to look like and that they all started off as low class citizens. None of them were of noble birth and only Heechul had been born into a merchant family. More images came to mind and as their story unfolded, the sarcophagi started to glow, very dimly at first and then with greater brilliance until it was nearly blinding. All within the room were forced to cover their eyes and it was then that they felt phantasmal hands on their shoulders, pressing gently, before a feeling of warmth suffused their bodies.

Power flowed through them, uncontrolled and voracious. From the six circles, a font of elemental power sprang up around each person, engulfing them in the element they stood before. As one, Summer watched the bodies of her friends rise slowly through the element that surrounded them in horrified amazement. She didn't know what was supposed to happen or if she was supposed to do anything at all. The elements obscured most of their bodies but it did not look as if any of them were conscious. Fear nagged at her and she looked for the headmaster, but he was slumped over the table, unmoving just like the others. "What…what do I do?" she asked into the power charged air.

Almost as soon as she asked her question, a surge of power from the image underfoot startled her and a voice whispered in her mind, "What you already know how to do."

Summer nodded to herself and slowly reached out towards the six pillars. When she closed her eyes, she could feel the power there and with an effort, she willed it to go away. For a moment, nothing happened, and finally, the power responded. With eyes still closed, she could feel the strength before her diminishing, becoming more manageable. At last, she sagged in weariness and fell to her knees on the floor, exhaustion sapping her strength. Never before had she tried to neutralize so much at one time. Almost fearfully, she cracked open her eyes to look around, afraid of what she might see. To her immense relief, all her friends had been set down upon the ground and appeared to be sleeping.

She sighed in relief before trying to stand up, her knees shaky. Her first impulse was to check on Siwon and Kyuhyun at the fore but she remembered that Eleanara had been trained in the element of light. If she could use that ability now, she would be able to revive the rest…she hoped. As quickly as she could, Summer stumbled over to where Eleanara was resting, kneeling beside her awkwardly and gently trying to shake her awake. "Eleanara. Eleanara," she murmured, shaking the smaller girl's shoulder. "Wake up now," she tried again, reaching up to tap the sleeping girl's cheek with an open hand.

Eleanara groaned weakly as hazel green eyes peeked through fluttering eyelids, the firelight bright enough to bring on a headache. "Ouch," she winced, turning her head into the shadow created by Summer's body. "What happened?" she asked softly, reaching out to grab for Summer's outstretched hand.

"I'm not sure," she responded, trying to help her to her feet. It was a slow process as they were both more tired than they realized. "I think it worked," she mused out loud, taking note of the now dim sarcophagi and the others still lying on the floor. "I figured you could try…to, umm…wake them. You know. If you had the element of light and all," Summer mentioned uncertainly. It had seemed a fine idea at the time, but now… A hand touched her shoulder lightly and she saw Eleanara smiling at her.

"I can but try," she assured the other woman who obviously seemed unsure. Eleanara turned to face the others and took a deep breath. She knew she felt different, more powerful and assured. For years, they had trained to memorize the abilities that would be theirs to control if this day came; general guidelines of what their full abilities would be. There was nothing left but to try it now. She nodded to herself and reached out, trying to touch the power she knew was bubbling beneath the surface. When her mental hand encompassed that source, she was filled with such joy that it overflowed and she intoned, "Cure!" From her hands, a warm light spilled out over the figures on the floor and focused on them, making their bodies glow briefly before the light was extinguished. When she lowered her hands, a silly smile on her face, Eleanara reeled slightly.

Summer hurried to support her, rocking slightly from the effort. "Are you okay?"

Eleanara seemed dazed for a moment as her eyelids fluttered but she remained standing and nodded slowly. "I'm alright. Just a bit dizzy. It's very draining," she finally concluded with a confused look at her supporter. "I hope it gets easier," she sighed instead, focusing her gaze back on the others. Her smile returned in full force when they all started to stir slowly. "But I think it worked. Come on," she urged, taking a shaky step towards the others.

Summer let her go slowly and then smiled as the smaller girl walked on her own to Leeteuk who had been immediately next to her. As for herself, she could see that Kharin was coming around nicely, as were the others. She went to check on Siwon and Kyuhyun next who, like the rest, seemed a bit disoriented. "How are you feeling?" she asked, reaching a hand down to assist them both in rising.

Kyuhyun frowned, "I have a headache." At least he did reach out to take her hand. She was only grateful that he wasn't relying entirely on her since she didn't have the strength to haul him to his feet without it.

Siwon shrugged in agreement but he glanced around and could see the rest were moving about too. "Looks like we're all okay, though," he smiled, taking Summer's hand gratefully and allowing himself to be helped to stand, though he did most of the work. He laughed when she overcompensated for both of them and nearly lost her footing but he pulled her into a hug and murmured, "Thank you." Abruptly, he reached over and snagged Kyuhyun, pulling him into the embrace briefly too at which the other man sighed resignedly.

Eleanara knelt down beside Leeteuk and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" she questioned softly, smiling as he turned his head to look at her.

Leeteuk smiled back and nodded. "I think so." Carefully, he braced himself on the floor and pushed up slowly, finding everything to be weak and uncooperative. He felt Eleanara's hand shift to assist him in standing and he chuckled. "Thank you," he murmured, placing his hand on her shoulder for support and additional balance. It was necessary as his head was spinning from standing too fast.

"Any time," she laughed lightly, hiding her smile behind her free hand. "Come on. Let's see about the others," she suggested, taking a small step forward so he would have time to react. Leeteuk grunted in agreement and moved along with her.

Kharin and Eunhyuk were already helping each other to stand when the others made it over to them. They were leaning on each other for support and both were laughing at their own inability to function like normal. To the rest, it looked as if it was more fun to pretend they needed to lean against each other than standing alone. Eunhyuk stated, "I feel like I just raced Kharin around the monastery and I'm not sure who won."

"Me too," Kharin agreed. The rest nodded in agreement, though they laughed at the analogy. Of the group, Siwon was probably the most likely to be able to attest to that since the other two were among the fastest in the group. Still, they all felt the power within, yet their bodies were failing to respond to it immediately.

"It will take some time to adjust," Yoogin explained, stepping up to them from where he had recovered himself as well. The power of the intonation had drained him, but Eleanara's cure spell had allowed him the strength to get back to his feet. In his hands, he carried seven amulets on leather thongs. "These are for you," he stated, standing before Eleanara first. "Eleanara, the Elementalist of Light." He handed over the diamond shaped amulet with the symbol of the sun on it. "Leeteuk, the Elementalist of Earth." The amulet had the image of a mountain pressed into the metal. "Kyuhyun, the Elementalist of Fire." An amulet with the image of a burning flame was handed over. "Siwon, the Elementalist of Water." A water droplet was inscribed on the diamond shaped amulet this time. "Eunhyuk, the Elementalist of Wind." The imposing image of a tornado was inscribed on his amulet. "Kharin, the Elementalist of Shadow." An image of the quarter moon was etched on hers. The final amulet was given to Summer and it looked different than the rest. Two circles wrapped around the diamond shaped amulet that had a smaller symbol of each element pressed into each point starting at the top with earth and then moving clockwise to show fire, water and wind.

"Why is hers so different?" Kyuhyun asked, a skeptical look on his smooth face.

Yoogin leveled an annoyed frown at him and sighed, "Summer has no power to command the elements, but she does have the ability to render them null. In turn, she holds power over each element." The rest leaned in close to look at her amulet. Kyuhyun still seemed a bit put out but he had no room to argue as it made perfect sense overall. "Come then," Yoogin called attention to himself once more. "You must rest and regain your strength. Tomorrow, we will see what sort of abilities you have with your powers."

"But haven't we been learning the abilities all this time?" Kharin asked quickly, seeing a similar question in the rest of their faces.

"Oh indeed you have," Yoogin laughed, genuinely amused. "But that is not to say that you know how to control them." He shook a slightly crooked finger at them and then beckoned them to follow him, shoulders still shaking in moderate amusement.

If they thought he had been too slow going down the stairs, they all changed their initial assessment and felt he moved back up them entirely too fast. "For an old guy, he's very spry," Eunhyuk laughed, bringing up the rear with Kharin this time.

"Or we're just really slow," Leeteuk countered from the front. He was slightly winded and that was due in no small part because the stairs were a challenge but also because he was leading the group up and as they had while they headed down, they all held hands again. Being in the lead, it was his job to pull and if it was just Eleanara that he was helping, it would not have been problematic, but she in turn held hands with Kyuhyun and likewise down the line. At last though, the group made their slow, tired way up the stairs and stopped at the top to catch their breath. Winded, they still managed to grin happily as the realization that they had been the keepers chosen for the power they now held finally sank in. Some were blissfully ignorant, happy simply to have been honored as such but the others were curious. Why them…and why now?

Yoogin halted any train of thought by interrupting their thinking, "Come on, Elementalists. You need food and rest." With a wry smile on his face, he shepherded them to the dining hall where they were fed and then made sure to guide them to their bedroom in turn. At this juncture, he understood better than they what their bodies needed as they were still riding the elation of this afternoon.

"But I'm not sleepy," Kyuhyun objected, following along with the rest.

"You will be when you lay down," Summer assured him knowingly with an amused chuckle.

Siwon nudged him and added, "Your head doesn't know how tired your body is yet. Just wait," he winked, grinning at Summer in agreement. At the speech, Kyuhyun groaned and took a step towards his bed, regardless of how he felt. His was the closest to the door and he was as such, the first one to lie down. Coincidentally, he was also the first to fall asleep, to the general amusement of the others who watched him smile peacefully, gone as soon as his head hit the pillow.

After a moment of shared silence, the rest broke off to their own beds. The room had a set of seven beds; four on one side and three on the other. It had always been regarded as the room for the keepers and so they had inherited it as well. Siwon wandered over next to Kyuhyun's bed with a parting pat on the shoulder to Summer who smiled and took the bed opposite him. Eunhyuk split off next, nudging Kharin playfully, who pushed back and grinned before they both settled in their beds opposite each other. At the back of the room were Leeteuk and Eleanara across the way from each other. "Sleep well," he smiled and nodded to Eleanara who nodded back and waved. Briefly, she felt stuck in place as she watched him go to his own bed and with a start she shook herself free. Quickly, she crawled into bed and sighed.

Eleanara was not the only one to lay awake, staring at the ceiling, thoughts running rampant through her head. Siwon, Summer and Eunhyuk seemed to have no trouble falling asleep but the remaining three were still speculative. It had finally happened with them and they were supposed to be prepared for something…but what? She turned her head to look over at Kharin and noticed sleepy eyes still peering at Eunhyuk thoughtfully. Eleanara smiled and turned over, glancing at Leeteuk in the process. With a start, she noticed that he was observing her with a smile on his face. She smiled back and felt a flush creep over her cheeks. She hoped the light was not good enough to reveal that before she shyly ducked her head under the covers.

A low chuckle to her side showed that Kharin had seen her reaction, as a peek out from the corner of the covers revealed. The other woman winked and Eleanara relaxed. When Kharin turned over to go to sleep, she couldn't help but take one more glance at the man across from her. His eyes were closed and she couldn't tell if he was sleeping yet or not. With another sigh, she turned over to go to sleep, joining the others in sweet oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning found them all much refreshed, though still sleepy, with Leeteuk waking them shortly after dawn. "Come on. Time to get up," he chided, shaking each person gently as he went by the beds, a morning ritual they all liked to grumble about. Getting Kyuhyun and Summer up was more of a joint effort that resulted in pestering by the other five until they finally succumbed to the reality of dawn and clambered out of bed too.

Reluctantly, they stood up from their beds, tousled hair and crumpled robes a good indicator they had slept well. Kyuhyun still had a line imprinted on his face from his pillow that Summer pointed out in amusement, to his chagrin. The others left him well enough alone, still waking up themselves. Half of them stifled yawns as they filed out and headed for the bathing pool; girls on one side and boys on the other. A wall separated the hot spring that made up their bath but there was always an assortment of playful banter on both sides.

"Hey Summer?" Kyuhyun called over, a cocky smile in his voice. "How's the bruise I gave you?"

Summer and the other two girls glanced at the purplish mark on her arm where she had failed to block correctly in a sparring match, and they speculated briefly. "Probably better than yours," she retorted, unsure if she meant it was more impressive or less so than his. Laughter on the other side made the girls giggle as she had marked him at least equally well on the thigh when he had failed to dodge.

"Maybe Eunhyuk can give you some pointers," Kharin called over, commenting on his impressively fast feet. Everyone acknowledged that he was the best mover of the group and nigh on impossible to corner.

It suddenly got rather quiet on the guys side and Leeteuk laughed, "Wait!" The girls looked at the wall curiously and then noticed a globe of water falling towards them. Indignant cries brought peals of delighted laughter from the guys as the cold water doused their counterparts.

"Why you-?" Kharin started, preparing to cast a shadow spell, but Eleanara halted her hands and, still laughing, pressed a finger to her lips.

Eleanara winked at the girls mischievously and then called over the wall, "I dare you to try that again." They giggled as the men discussed in quite debate. It seemed as if they weren't going to for a moment and then, to Eleanara's delight, another one came over the wall and was set to fall upon them as before. Summer and Kharin cringed in preparation but Eleanara threw her hands up and laughed, "Reflect!" the verbal command still necessary to implement the thought. Immediately, the orb spread out against an invisible wall, conforming to the plane before resuming its original shape and floating back over the wall in the opposite direction.

Surprised cries sounded as the guys noticed the water ball coming back in their direction. "Hey!" Kyuhyun cried, gripped by the desire to stop it or simply duck under the water. The delay cost him and the others as they were unceremoniously doused in turn.

The girls smiled in satisfaction as they heard the indignant cries of the guys in turn. That water had been cold... "Nicely done," Leeteuk laughed, shaking his head and laughing at the other three.

Siwon threw a handful of water at him and laughed, "Whose side are you on?" Despite his words, he was amused in turn. That had been well played.

Briefly, Leeteuk checked to see how long they had been in the hot spring for and shrugged ruefully. "Alright guys. Time to wrap it up." He began to slosh his way to the bank and was caught by surprise from the other three who dunked him unceremoniously. He came up spluttering and laughing as he spit the mouthful of water out. As he was wiping water from his eyes, Siwon helped propel him in the right direction and they continued up the steps, pausing to listen as delighted laughter came from the other side.

"No, stop it!" Eleanara giggled uncontrollably. "That tickles."

"Ah! No!" Kharin yipped. "Stop it. Stop it," she warned, though she couldn't quite keep the laughter from her voice. A loud splash accompanied that statement and then a larger one as Kharin dashed from the water, still giggling. The sound of water rippling revealed that Eleanara and Summer were making a more leisurely exit.

Their antics didn't quite carry over into the changing room and they all recovered a modicum of their composure as they donned new robes and put the amulets back on. Wet hair was dried as best as possible and for the girls, it was generally braided to keep it under control. It didn't take them long to get ready from that point and they headed out to the dining hall for breakfast. It was moderately full when they arrived, seeing that the rest of the occupants were present in turn. Most of the other occupants at the monastery were introspective students who focused more on their own betterment as opposed to working on furthering social relationships. It was part of the reason their group was as close as they were.

Yoogin stopped them before they could be seated and he advised them that he would need to see them after their finished eating. Marginally subdued, they all nodded and took their place in line for breakfast. Speculation was the topic of conversation while they ate.

"We can't be in trouble," Kyuhyun remarked. "We haven't done anything yet."

"Maybe it's another lesson?" Siwon suggested, glancing up and down the table. Groans sounded up and down the length of it as they were rightly tired of lessons, though the new ones with full use of their elements seemed promising.

"Even if it is, we have power over the elements now," Kharin reminded them, pointing out that their lessons would be actual instead of theoretical if that was the case. Thoughtful contemplation answered that comment and Eleanara couldn't help but look at Leeteuk who seemed about as quiet as her this morning. She had no doubt that lessons would be a part of their next few days, but for some reason she didn't really think that would be the purpose of being summoned to see Yoogin. Just the other day, it was the sole purpose of awakening the power to be placed into new hosts. She figured it had to be something along the lines of why the power was awakened now. The monastery was mostly ignorant of the happenings beyond their walls, but that didn't mean they received no news at all. In fact, the news would have to be substantial for it to be worth remarking upon…

She blinked when a hand waved in front of her face and Eleanara realized she had been staring at Leeteuk while she was thinking. He saved her from tripping over her own words by asking, "Off in your own world aren't you?"

She gave an exaggerated nod. "You could say that." Abashed, Eleanara dropped her eyes to the bowl of food before her; more oatmeal, which at just this moment was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Carefully, she peeked up to catch a glimpse of him again and started when he looked up again. "Sorry," she murmured, resuming her investigation of the oatmeal and pushing it around ineffectively.

"Eat," Kharin nudged her firmly. "You're going to need it," she chided to the general amusement of the rest. The others agreed with that statement in full as they had mostly cleaned their dishes already. "And you can't be such a finicky eater." She smiled when Eleanara nodded and then looked up around at the others. Seemingly perpetually hungry, Eunhyuk had gone up for another bowl and Summer was currently arm wrestling Siwon, a match that he was prolonging to her consternation. Up for a challenge, Kharin shifted over and placed herself in front of Kyuhyun, who had finished eating too, and proffered her arm in challenge. He scoffed but leaned forward and accepted the challenge.

Kharin put up a good fight and managed to hold him off for a few seconds, but she finally had to succumb, which was right around the time that Siwon beat Summer too. "Everytime," Kyuhyun winked in satisfaction to Kharin's good natured annoyance.

"One of these days," she assured him with a confident grin, green eyes flashing.

Leeteuk spoke up, "You two should compete. Winner against winner," he smiled. His suggestion was immediately met with approval and in line with the challenge, Siwon quickly swung around and took the spot cleared between Summer and Kharin.

"You ready Kyu?" he grinned with impish delight, dimples appearing easily.

Not so sure of his victory, Kyuhyun looked at Leeteuk and then at Siwon. "Fine." The pair clasped hands and at the signal from Eunhyuk, who held their fists until ready, the match began. At first it seemed fairly even, with neither side able to gain ground. Finally though, it appeared as if Kyuhyun was going to tire first.

With the rest, Eleanara watched in interest as she was abysmal at arm wrestling but it was fun to observe. Leeteuk reached over and snagged her mostly empty bowl. She looked at him in confusion until he glanced at the pair and then jerked his head to the door with a mischievous smile. Eleanara couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I'm done," she stated, following Leeteuk's lead as he stood up.

"Come on then. Yoogin awaits," he chuckled, picking his bowl up in the process as the rest followed suit, leaving the pair still locked in competition.

Siwon and Kyuhyun looked at each other and then at their departing companions. In full competitive mode, Kyuhyun maintained his composure but Siwon winked at him and relaxed, pulling his arm off the table. "Another time," he assured him confidently. Befuddled, Kyuhyun pushed himself up and made his way out after the others, feeling as if he had missed something and running a hand through his messy hair.

Hurriedly, the group dropped their bowls off and made their way to Yoogin's study. He was waiting for them, as usual, his tall frame bent over a scroll on his desk. When they settled down, he relayed to them the news that he had been given in regards to Enrhyll and his current quest for domination. Uncertainly, the seven found themselves seeking comfort among friends as they pressed closer. "Only the combined power of the Elementalists will be able to oppose him," Yoogin explained seriously, regarding each person evenly. "A Neutralizer is your only hope of reaching him without destroying yourselves in turn." He looked at Summer specifically and she nodded gravely, seeking comfort from those nearest her which happened to be Siwon and Kyuhyun. They reached out to squeeze her shoulders in reassurance. "She can protect you from yourselves if need be," he explained further.

Slowly, he reached back and retrieved a tome from the side of his desk. "This was the journal of the Neutralizer Sinrielle. In it, she cautions the dangers each Elementalist faced in her time." Solemnly, he opened the ancient, crumbling text and peered at Leeteuk first. "For the Earth Elementalist, she warned to not tear the earth asunder. The Fire Elementalist was warned not to let his flame burn too brightly." Kyuhyun looked away but Yoogin continued. "Let not the wind carry you away, Elementalist of that playful spirit. And take care not to drown those in the bounty of your gift, Water Elementalist." Both Eunhyuk and Siwon looked uncomfortable. Yoogin looked at Kharin now and she met his gaze squarely before he looked down to read. "Elementalist of Shadow. Come to terms with your power and recognize it is not just a messenger of destruction." She frowned at the words but nodded and looked thoughtful. Summer reached out to grasp her hand and Eunhyuk threw an arm around her shoulder. At last, he came to a nervous Eleanara, and sighed. "For the Elementalist of Light, she simply cautions to learn your limits, lest you falter when you are needed most."

The admission was met with confusion by most of them. It was self-evident that they would need to learn their limits but none of them yet believed any of their group could falter. Kharin reached her free hand to still Eleanara's shaking ones and she felt Leeteuk's arm across her back as he gave her an encouraging squeeze. "It will be alright," he assured her sincerely as she met his concerned deep chestnut eyes.

"Seeing that you are new to your powers, you will need time to train in their use. Use your time wisely for in a month, you will be heading to meet him," Yoogin promised them gravely, realizing it was not much time indeed.

"A month?" Summer and Kyuhyun asked immediately, glancing at each other and then back at the headmaster while the rest shared uncertain expressions.

"The rest of the world cannot afford more than that," he sighed sadly. A month may well have been too long but he would not send them out unprepared, to die in a battle they weren't ready to fight. "Training starts today. Take your notes and go to the training yard. From here, you know best what you can and cannot do. They are your elements after all." Yoogin knew best when to simply get out of their way, and from this point on, he could only offer encouragement and counsel. The rest was entirely up to them.

Still somewhat shocked by the news, most of the group was slow to get moving, but Leeteuk being the sensible leader that he was, helped to get them moving in the right direction. Gently, he propelled Eleanara around first and began heading out the door, Kharin in tow who still held her hand. That started another chain where Eunhyuk was turned with her and Summer followed with Siwon and Khuyhun not far behind. It did not take them long to come to their senses and move to retrieve their notes which detailed the abilities they should be able to call upon. When they met in the training yard, they set about spreading themselves out and giving plenty of space to work.

In the first week, they worked individually, strengthening what they knew and fine tuning control of their diverse abilities. Summer was always close at hand to make sure that none of their elements grew too strong without control and her ability was needed much in the first couple days. Early on, Kyuhyun, Leeteuk and Eunhyuk all had to come to grips with the warning they had been given. The first nearly caught himself and his companions on fire with a strengthened flare spell. The second almost created a large chasm in the training yard that likely would have caught at least three of their number in the hole. The third called a tornado he was not adept at controlling yet which almost did pick him up and carry him away. Summer was invaluable in maintaining a semblance of order in those situations and they were all quite glad for her presence.

In their second week of training, they started pairing up and learning how they worked together by combining elements. This was also especially dangerous as the combinations could be explosive and unpredictable. Some of the results were mentioned in their notes, but others were entirely new and wholly unpredictable. Fire and wind created a fire and lighting storm of much greater strength than either had anticipated. Water and wind created ice in several forms, icicles being among them, that very nearly impaled Summer before she was able to quell the power. Light and shadow initially cancelled each other out until they fine-tuned their control. The combination of water and earth created a noxious poisonous gas that affected the casters and Summer who was in range, requiring Eleanara's antidote ability to cure. They spent another half a week working on the finer points of combining their strengths and shoring up their weaknesses.

In the final weak and a half, they took to controlling their elements together as a team, without combining elements, which proved to be trickier than they had initially thought. Some minor accidents occurred while they were training that Summer wasn't able to prevent but Eleanara was always ready with a heal on hand. Even during training, she didn't understand what Sinrielle had meant by learning her limits, though Kharin understood her warning as she was one of the accidents in training. A darkness spell had prevented Kyuhyun from seeing her, but it did not stop him from attacking from within. The errant fireball that she had not been expecting clipped her when she was too slow to get out of the way. Eleanara's healing ability worked wonders, but the lesson was well learned, by both parties.

Through the weeks of hard training, there was little time for anything else and as they used their abilities, they began to learn more of the limits and dangers inherent in using them. It was not uncommon for one of the six to literally pass out upon going to bed, sometimes missing dinner entirely. Because of all the work, their interactions were muted, but they grew together as a whole, needing the strength of the others to keep moving forward. Simple pranks were called off and angry words were forestalled for the sake of the group. Before they knew it, the end of their training was there, and they were set to head out into the world on the morrow; a prospect that was both frightening and exhilarating. After a light day of training to help cement everything in their minds, the group lay in their beds, inordinately awake despite the need for rest.

Restless eyes looked around the room and saw a similar expression on the other's faces. "We can do this," Eleanara whispered to herself, staring at the ceiling again. She both feared and wondered what it would be like on the outside.

They had all been sheltered here and had no working knowledge of what things were like in the war torn world beyond their valley. Still…they had each other. That would have to be enough. In the beds around her, the others looked equally nervous, in their own way.

Leeteuk observed Eleanara as he watched the thoughts run through her head, much as they were doing the same for the others. Unlike the norm, all seven pairs of eyes reviewed the ceiling instead of the backs of their eyelids. He smiled at her when she turned her head to look at him, pale eyes bright in the dim light of the room. She matched his smile easily and though he couldn't tell what she was thinking, it seemed as if she was more relaxed just then, instead of pensive as she had been just a moment before.

Mischievously, she raised an arm to the ceiling and drew a circle of light above them, wondering if they would get the reference. The others looked up to see what she was doing and then noticed the symbol for earth floating in the air inside the circle. Slowly, the symbol for water, wind and fire inscribed themselves inside the circle, while a black circle surrounded the circle of light. The group sat up and nodded to themselves. No words were necessary, just the camaraderie that they shared. Some gazes held longer than others, but all in all, they were in this together.

"Alright, guys," Summer started, reaching up to the floating symbols. "Time for lights out," she added, neutralizing the powers above and darkening the room before she lay down. She heard light hearted laughter around her before the others settled into bed. They really would need the rest for their journey tomorrow.

They woke like any other day, with Leeteuk shaking them from their beds. They bathed as usual and took breakfast in the dining hall, but when they went to Yoogin again, he explained that travel bags had been supplied for them with equipment for the road and rations for up to ten days. It should be more than enough to get them down the mountain where they could get their own food by then. Quickly, they were cautioned on the possible dangers and warned about the cold, which they had no regular experience in dealing with. Yoogin made sure they had extra pairs of clothes with their supplies and reminded that they needed to look after each other. It would be a dangerous enough journey on its own without them making it more difficult.

Along with supplies, they were also given a small bounty of funds for when they were able to purchase their food and they were warned to keep their amulets hidden. Leeteuk was put in charge of carrying the money by a unanimous vote.

"I know you may want to give the people hope by showing what you are, but I must warn you not to reveal yourselves if at all possible," Yoogin stated seriously. At their confusion, he elaborated that if it was discovered who they were, not only would word travel fast to Enrhyll, but the people themselves would likely ask many favors. They did not have the time for the detours they would have to take to complete such favors for them, unfortunately. At last, they were ready to depart and Yoogin bowed to each of them respectfully. In their new roles, they were considered superior to him and he acknowledged it now. Out of respect, they bowed in return.

Uncertainly, the party shouldered their packs and headed out of the monastery doors, the feeling of great responsibility finally settling firmly on over their heads. A great new world awaited them and they were curious as to what they would find, but none of them were naïve enough to believe that it was going to be as simple as walking up to Enryhll and just getting him to stop his madness.


	3. Chapter 3

The path beyond their home was not large but it was wide enough that they could walk in pairs which they naturally aligned themselves to pairings they tended to have. Leeteuk led with Eleanara near him, while Eunhyuk and Kharin took the middle and bringing up the rear was the trio of Kyuhyun, Siwon and Summer. Siwon had little trouble seeing over everyone due to his height and in the back, Summer could keep an eye on all the elementalists and the usage of their abilities. Kyuhyun lightened the mood by singing softly, one of the songs they had learned in the monastery.

From the start, their destination seemed very far away and they were only able to see a white blur which was the top of the valley where the pass began that allowed travelers down the mountain. Leeteuk made frequent references to the map he had been given to help ensure they didn't get lost, though the path was easy enough to follow at present. He was trying to memorize it as best he could in case anything happened to it and now was probably the best time before they had any real work to focus on. Whenever he rolled it open though, Eleanara drifted closer to see too, to his amusement. She was curious for one, and it was warmer near him. It never actually got warm in the valley and it had only been getting colder the closer they got to their first destination.

He looked down at her as she looked over the map too and nudged her softly. "Look," he pointed when he had her attention, dropping one side of the map so she could see better. "Abom's pass is where we're heading."

Eleanara followed his hand to see a steep rise ahead of them with snow banked all around it. She shivered preemptively and nervously looked down at her clothes. "Do you think we have enough layers?"

"I imagine," he assured her. "Yoogin did have us bring another coat after all." He shrugged but reached out to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. "If nothing else, Kyuhyun can keep us warm with his fire."

Behind them, Kyuhyun laughed, "Let me know if you find out how to manage that while moving."

"We'll figure something out," Leeteuk assured them forcefully. Somehow, he was positive they'd manage. If they couldn't survive a mountain, how would they ever survive the tyrant?

Along with the rest, Eleanara steeled herself for the cold ahead. She had an ability to make them all immune to it but she didn't know how long it would last or how much it would cost her in terms of use… Curiously, she wrapped the null cold spell around her as they walked, waiting to feel when it would wane. Those behind her were oblivious to her efforts, the barrier invisible unless you were trying to feel for it, like Summer could. It was still in effect when they called a break about an hour later. As they stopped and set their packs down to grab a bite to eat, Leeteuk moved closer and looked around speculatively.

"Testing?" he queried aware of the temperature difference when he stood next to her, his eyes curious when he flicked the hair away with a gloved hand.

Suddenly nervous, Eleanara ducked her head. "I can block the cold but I don't know how long the ability lasts." Unconsciously, she wrung her hands and was startled when Leeteuk reached down to still them.

"It's okay," he assured her with a warm smile. "We're all of us nervous." Comfortingly, he pulled her into his warm embrace, amused at her surprise.

Slowly, she relaxed and nodded slightly. "You're right," she commented, reluctantly pushing herself away. "Thank you," she bowed, backing up and nearly tripping over Siwon who was seated, along with the rest, digging one of the rations out of his bag.

"Careful," he laughed, reaching up to catch her hand and steady her before she toppled over. "I know I'm not that hard to see," he joked, a wry grin on his face.

"Sorry!" Eleanara cringed, flushing in embarrassment as she righted herself and with considerably more care, took a seat between Kharin and Kyuhyun. Both of them looked confused when they felt the absence of cold near her.

Kyuhyun reached out and waved and hand around her where the spell was still active. "How are you able to keep the cold out?" he asked, a mixture of annoyance and honest curiosity.

Eleanara shrank back, looking up briefly as she felt the power waning and then cringed when it went out completely. A shiver caught her as the cold hit her again and she took a deep breath. "I'm testing my null cold ability," she answered, looking at him sideways out of the corner of her eye before she started fishing for one of her rations.

"How long did you have it up for before it went down," Kharin asked from her other side, already halfway done with hers.

Eleanara shifted her gaze over to the other woman and shrugged. "It seems about an hour, unless I am mistaken. I don't think it would be difficult to sustain…I'm just not sure…" she trailed off, not quite sure how to put it.

"Not sure of what?" Kyuhyun prompted, leaning around in front of her. The cold didn't affect him as much as the others, due to the nature of his element, but that wasn't to say he liked it.

At his query, she shrunk back further and murmured, "Not sure about covering the rest of us…"

"Humph," he grunted. "Can't be that hard." He seemed certain of the statement, based on his own interactions with his element.

"And how would you know, Kyu?" Summer called him on it. "Have you even tried sustaining any of your abilities for a prolonged period of time?"

"I-" he began but then stopped and frowned in thought. Come to think of it, the only ability he had maintained for any length of time was a small flare spell meant to provide light rather than do any damage. The problem with his abilities was that they all gave off heat, which had the potential to be problematic. Eleanara's didn't unless she focused specifically for that purpose.

"It's harder than it looks," Kharin assured him. "Especially when you're thinking large scale or multiples for any length of time." Through use of her darkness abilities, she had begun to understand the draw on a person's strength when trying to do more than just one thing at a time.

"I'm still figuring it out," Eleanara assured him and the rest with a glance around.

"Eh…one thing at a time," Eunhyuk stated with a wink. "Let's get there first. Then we can wonder about your anti-cold barrier."

"O-okay," Eleanara nodded, self-consciously pulling her pack closer to her. Finally, she found the travel rations and started to nibble on one. It wasn't particularly tasty, consisting of a tough bread filled with what appeared to be dried meat and possibly dried vegetables… There was no sauce or anything fresh to help reduce the risk of anything spoiling but with it being colder where they were going, she really had no fear that anything would spoil. Except for inside the barrier… Upon that realization, she sighed and took another bite. There was always something to think on.

In the mutual silence of the camp, they were all abruptly distracted by Eunhyuk sending a teasing wind through their camp and ruffling their hair, startling Eleanara and annoying Kyuhyun when the wind sent his hair into his eyes. Summer stopped it before it could play with hers and the sender flinched but laughed anyway at which point she shook her head, a smile on her lips. By the time they were ready to set out again, Kyuhyun had resorted to flicking sparks at Siwon and Eunhyuk, who were dousing them or fanning them away easily. An errant spark was carried to Leeteuk and he swatted it away with his hand, surprised when the tiny ember burned the glove more than he expected.

It seemed for an instant that he was going to frown but then he just laughed and stood up, finishing his ration and hauling his pack up. He frowned when he saw Eleanara had only eaten half her ration before she put the other bit away and then got up with the rest of them. He would have to address that later. "Time to head out," Leeteuk remarked as he settled his pack and glanced around at the rest of the group approvingly.

Eunhyuk stepped up to assist a struggling Eleanara, the pack almost as large as her. Fortunately, the way they were designed, the weight was settled predominantly at the waist where a belt helped to keep it secure when all the straps were properly attached. Once the pack was settled, he gave her a nudge to get her going. She laughed and caught up to Leeteuk while the rest fell in line behind. Despite the circumstances of their leaving, there was a general air of excitement about them as they started their adventure again. Unobtrusively, Eleanara put her null cold barrier back up, grateful for the immediate lack of cold. She figured it was about an hour per barrier but she wanted to make sure.

Surprisingly, it started getting dark earlier than they were accustomed and Leeteuk called a stop when they reached the top of the pass. Eleanara and Kyuhyun were both using a light and flare spell to allow them to see before they reached the top. Her barrier had worn out again, a couple hours ago, but the one she had put up had lasted about an hour like the first one. She was fairly certain of the timing now but having kept it down, she was shivering by the time they stopped. She hadn't thought it fair to keep putting up the barrier when no one else had one either. Constant movement kept most of them decently warm but few of the others tended to be cold as often as she was.

Under the influence of the colder weather, they were a bit subdued and sought shelter in an embankment away from the howling winds of the pass that carried the threat of snow. There wasn't much debris to be found but they had enough to get a fire started and Kyuhyun was able to sustain it long after the fuel had burned away. They all brought out another bite of rations for dinner and melted snow in the pot that Siwon had been designated to carry. He could have summoned water but the effect would have been the same. Carefully, they refilled their hard leather waterskins and slaked their thirst with warm water before they let Khuyun heat it up to just short of boiling for the purpose of warming cold hands. Each carried a tin cup with them and with their gloves on, the container wasn't too hot to hold to, even with hot water in it.

As they ate and tried to warm up, the extra coat came out quickly and they pressed together for the shared warmth, wondering if this was how it was going to be for the next few days…or however long it took them to get off the mountain. Some of the group fared better than the rest and had a degree of immunity to the cold which largely seemed to be Summer, Siwon and Kyuhyun whose abilities gave them a natural edge. The rest were reasonably cold and in Eleanara's case, she just couldn't seem to get warm. Even with the layers she had on, the wind bit into her keenly. Perhaps it was because she was the smallest or maybe she just wasn't good with the cold. Either way, her shivering refused to stop to her annoyance. Quietly, she sat between Kyuhyun, who seemed to be the warmest of the group, and Kharin, keeping her eyes steadfastly on the steaming cup in front of her.

Kharin noticed Eleanara's single-minded determination and though she wasn't close enough to feel it, she could tell the smaller woman was shivering under the added layers. With a sigh, she slid closer to her and smiled reassuringly. Behind her, she smacked Kyuhyun's shoulder with the back of her hand and glanced down at Eleanara.

Kyuhyun looked at her in confusion at first before he rolled his eyes when he realized what she intended. Awkwardly, he shifted over so that she was sandwiched between them and could feel her shivering. He looked at Kharin as if to say, 'Happy now?'

She gave him an amused smile and nodded, nudging Eleanara and prompting her to take a bite of her ration. She could see Leeteuk watching her too, as he watched all of them, but Eleanara was typically the slowest to eat. Nor had she missed that the smaller woman had pulled out the other half of her ration from earlier. "You need to stop daydreaming, girl," she chided with a smile.

"Sorry," Eleanara smiled, taking another bite and following that with a swallow water that was nearly too hot. It made the food easier to get down though and warmed her from the inside out.

Leeteuk paced around the perimeter with the others watching him curiously. He had finished his ration already and seemed focused on something, pausing to squat and place a hand on the ground every so often. Finally, he paused and regarded them evenly. "So who wants to take first watch?" he asked. It would be easy enough to dole out watch duty in one hour increments among them with the last person pulling a two hour shift. They could rotate out on the following days so everyone would be able to get seven hours of sleep for the most part. He waited to hear if anyone would volunteer. He didn't expect it, but to his surprise, Kharin did.

"I'll do it," she offered, looking between the others. "What? It's only about an hour a piece if we share," she commented to their general consternation. Easily, she had followed his train of thought and it was really one of the better ideas in her opinion.

"Thank you, Kharin," he nodded appreciatively. "I will take second watch unless I have any other takers."

Not to be outdone by Kharin, the next set of watchers was figured easily. Summer would take second followed by Kyuhyun with Eunhyuk after, Siwon next and Eleanara and Leeteuk taking the final shifts. Each pulled out the sleeping roll attached to the bottom of the packs and both Leeteuk and Kharin had large waterproofed blankets to spread on the ground so the melted snow wouldn't soak them through while they slept. At least it wasn't snowing… While the rest were getting settled, Eleanara who had finally finished the rest of her ration from earlier, was busy looking around for something. At last, she settled on her waterskin which was at least circular in nature and grabbed a small hand towel that was stuffed in her pack. Carefully, she concentrated and tapped on the skin seven times methodically.

"What are you doing?" Kharin asked as she looked over her shoulder to see what the light elementalist was doing.

Eleanara jerked up in surprise and her world spun for a second as she felt the draw of casting seven light spells in a row. She steadied herself quickly by placing a hand on the snow covered ground next to her and shook her head, hoping that Kharin hadn't noticed the lapse. "Light," she whispered over the skin and then quickly covered it with the towel so only a small part was visible, emitting a pure beam of light. "I didn't want to give us away, but I thought it might be nice to have if you heard something," she explained softly, pointing the beam outwards to light the path across the way.

Kharin laughed and pat Eleanara on the shoulder. "Well done," she thanked, taking the covered skin and giving her a hand up before she hugged her firmly, looking down in concern when she felt the small frame still trembling. "Now go get warm," she urged seriously, pushing her gently towards the rest of the group who were lying down comfortably, lined up along the blankets and snug in their sleeping rolls. Siwon was on the outside at the far end with Summer beside him, Kyuhyun next to her, Eunhyuk after that and Leeteuk bringing up the end on the other side.

"Be careful, Kharin," Eleanara whispered over her shoulder as she hurried to where there was a bit of space next to Leeteuk. Quickly, she snagged her sleeping roll and curled up back to back with Leeteuk, suspecting that the others had spread out a bit more than necessary since they lacked their normal beds. Vainly, she tried to go to sleep, but the cold was a presence she couldn't dismiss and it simply wouldn't go away. She was fairly certain the others had fallen asleep by the time she finally called up a null cold barrier that at least allowed her to fall asleep, unaware that anyone else had been keeping an eye on her.

She was awakened by a gentle shake on her shoulder and she opened achy eyes to see Kyuhyun, illuminated dimly by the light enchanted canteen that had been turned enough to allow him to see, peering down at her in a mixture of amusement and concern. "Are you that cold?" he asked, shaking his head as she continued to shiver and her teeth rattled slightly of their own accord.

"S-s-sorry," Eleanara whispered, curling in on herself further.

"Dummy," he chided. "I'm not mad at you." He reached over her and nudged Leeteuk. "Teuk. Leeteuk. Wake up," he urged despite Eleanara's silent protest otherwise.

"Hmm?" Leeteuk murmured, coming to consciousness slowly. "My turn?" he asked.

"No. Not yet," Kyuhyun remarked, "but Eleanara's fit to wake the rest with her shivering. Put her on the inside or something."

"I'm okay," she objected, looking between the kneeling Kyuhyun and the laying Leeteuk, both of whom eyed her skeptically. She managed to keep her teeth from chattering on that statement but failed miserably on the next word. "R-r-really."

Both of them laughed softly at her attempt at a brave front and Kyuhyun gave Leeteuk a hand up, his sleeping roll coming with him, before they shifted Eleanara over by picking her up by her sleeping roll and setting her closer to Eunhyuk. "Slide over," Leeteuk urged as he stepped out of his sleeping roll and slid into the extra space in hers.

"Tch," Kyuhyun smirked but waved at them as he returned to his watch. He was about halfway done so it wouldn't be long now before he was waking Eunhyuk up. A glance back showed that his sleeping replacement had curled closer to the warm spot that had been vacated briefly so he was pressing up close to Eleanara too. Good. That should about do it.

Leeteuk hid his amusement when he felt her stiffen at his attempt to help her warm up. "You can't tell me that you don't feel warmer," he stated matter-of-factly, his arms encircling her loosely. Behind her, he could see Eunhyuk roll closer to the spot he had vacated a moment ago.

At first mortified that she had merited such concern, her embarrassment quickly fled in the face of the warmth that surrounded her, both physical and emotional. It was gratifying to her but she was still self-conscious of her own inability to stay warm so she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Leeteuk cracked open a sleepy eye and looked down at her in brief confusion. "Don't be," he finally told her as he took a deep breath and shifted subtly to get more comfortable. "We all have things we need help with," he comforted, resting his cheek against the top of her head gently. "And we've all got each other, right?"

Slowly, she nodded once. "Yes. We do."

The warmth in her voice was not lost on him and he smiled. "Not so bad now then aye? Sleep. Our turns will come soon enough," he urged, closing his eyes to set the example. Eleanara heard what he said and would have done so, but she was unable to look away from his face in such an unguarded moment. In the very dim light, she could just make out the line of his hair against his forehead and then his dimples appeared as he smiled gently. "Sleep," he reiterated, cracking open one eye to make sure she did this time, an amused smiled on his face.

Immediately, Eleanara squeaked softly and ducked her head under his chin, a warm flush spreading over her face and neck. Oh dear… She took a deep breath and almost as soon as she closed her eyes, she was asleep, surrounded by the warmth and silent strength of her friends.

The watch changed easily throughout the night, each member being replaced as they had agreed, leaving an empty space open for only a short period of time. When Siwon's watch came to an end, he woke her with an amused grin on his face. "Looks like someone slept well," he spoke quietly, winking at her once.

Abashed, Eleanara realized she was still settled neatly between Leeteuk and Kyuhyun, both of whom had at least one arm around her. A glance down the line showed she wasn't the only one with a limb over her as Summer had curled near Kyuhyun and both Eunhyuk and Kharin had drawn closer during the night. Personally, she was mildly embarrassed but oh it felt good to be warm. It was very hard to make herself get out of the comfort they provided. Awkwardly, she climbed out of her sleeping roll as carefully as she could, cringing when both Leeteuk and Kyuhyun stirred in their sleep. Siwon helped her to stand and then stole Leeteuk's extra sleeping roll to curl up on the outside, nudging Leeteuk to get him to move over so that he could fit on the waterproof blanket. Before he turned over to take a nap, he spoke quietly, "It's been all clear. Happy watching."

"Of course," she forced herself to laugh, feeling the cold begin to bite already. Immediately, she called a null cold barrier and went to inspect her waterskin. It was still glowing. She was happy to see her plan had worked and that she could store charges. The light spell she had lasted about as long as the barrier spells so if she was right, it should run out during Leeteuk's watch. If it wasn't already starting to get lighter in the sky, she might well have added one more charge, but she doubted they would need it. Carefully, she unwrapped the skin enough to allow her to reach the stopper but was gifted with only a cold trickle of ice water. The rest had frozen during the night. She sighed and took a mouthful of clean snow, annoyed when the cold made her jaw ache.

Really, she didn't actually need the light spell anymore, but it wasn't true dawn yet so she kept it up for now. She had already spent the energy to set them up and it wasn't as if she would get it back if she cancelled it out early. The next to last shift went by slowly, with nothing happening. Inside her barrier, she drew in the snow with her gloved finger, figuring what it might take to maintain a larger version of her barrier so that everyone could be moderately warm. Individual spells would be harder but maybe if she just expanded this one… With a start, she realized it was time for her to switch with Leeteuk when her barrier went down and she moved over to wake him. He was sleeping so peacefully though… With an apologetic sigh, she moved around to his head and gently shook his shoulder. "Teuk. Time to switch," she whispered.

"Mmm," he sighed, coming around slowly as before. Sleepy chestnut eyes opened to look up at her and he nodded in agreement, his bangs falling into his face. Eleanara reached down to slide them away and he smiled wryly. "Give me a hand would you?" he asked, reaching out.

Eleanara complied as he turned slightly and crawled out from his sleeping roll. "It's been quiet," she assured him, nodding at the horizon that was lightening further.

"Good," he murmured. "I've got it from here," he assured her confidently as he pat her shoulder. Smoothly, he moved away, stretching his arms upward as he walked, and stopped at the edge of the path. He raised a mound of earth from the ground, brushed off the snow and sat down to keep his watch. After a few moments, he became aware that she hadn't gone back to the sleeping rolls as he had suggested. A glance back showed her with a ration in one hand, kneeling in the snow and drawing thoughtfully with her free one. Quietly, he moved over to her and stifled a laugh when she nearly choked on a bite of food as he settled down next to her, an arm over her shoulder.

"Easy," he laughed as she struggled to get the bit of food down, stating to fall backwards as she lost her balance. Quickly, he shifted to support her before she got very far and he raised his brow at her in amusement, dimples appearing easily when he smiled. "What are we going to do with you?" he shook his head with a smile and steadied her again. She shrugged uncertainly and glanced back down at her stick figure drawing. "Now let's see what you've been working on," he suggested, leaning closer.

"It's just an idea," she hurriedly defended herself, mildly embarrassed by her drawing. Among other things, that was not her forte.

Leeteuk examined it speculatively for a moment before he thought out loud, "You're trying to expand the dimensions of it aren't you?" Eleanara nodded. "Won't that be hard for you?" he asked uncertainly, concern in his eyes.

"It's harder if I try individual barriers," she evaded the question. He didn't miss her lapse. "I haven't tried it yet. I just know it's cold now and we've avoided most of the wind. I can't help but wonder if it'll be harder on the trail," she ended softly.

Leeteuk reached down and lifted her head up. "Just be careful, alright? We all have our limits," he reminded her evenly. None of them had found them yet, but they knew they had them and once or twice had skirted exhaustion.

"Alright," she agreed with a determined nod. Somehow, she would make this work.


	4. Chapter 4

Full dawn had Leeteuk waking the others while Eleanara worked out the finer points of the barrier. It wasn't that she had anything else to decide really, but she was nervous to try something so large scale and she would need to be in the middle of the group for best efficiency. By the time the others had woken and were packing up and retrieving their own rations, Kyuhyun was sustaining another fire with which they could get warm and to have some warmer water to drink instead of the ice in their waterskins or the snow on the ground.

"Slept well did you?" Kharin teased as she spied a silly smile on Eleanara's face as the smaller woman ate. She had gotten the tantalizing news from Summer who had seen her sleeping during the night and was mildly miffed she had missed it.

Eleanara flushed at the jab and immediately went on the defensive, "It wasn't my idea."

"Relax," Kharin laughed, ruffling the smaller woman's hair affectionately, sending strands of curls everywhere. "I was teasing and with you shivering the way you were last night, someone was going to have to sleep with you." She stuck her tongue out playfully, grinning mischievously as her word usage caused her to flush even more. After a moment, she relented and her grin faded. "Come on then. We've got another long day ahead of us," she explained, finishing packing up, another full ration down and the sleeping roll attached to the bottom of the pack.

Still flushing, Eleanara nodded in agreement and hurried up, taking another bite of food and swallowing with some difficulty. She located her waterskin at the edge of their camp where it had stayed while they maintained the watch. While she was inordinately pleased it had worked as well as it had, she definitely needed to find something else more suited to the job. Her waterskin just wasn't a good watch light. She attached it to her pack while the rest were adjusting their own and getting ready to face the fierce, snow laden winds coming through the pass.

The group was strapped in and still getting warmed as Leeteuk peered at the map and then at the pass onto the mountain path. Kharin moved over to help Eleanara put the pack on, testing it firmly to make sure it was attached like it was supposed to be. She had to stifle a laugh as the smaller woman was nearly put off balance by the weight and she held her steady as she regained her composure. "Come on now. You'll have to do better than that," she winked, half-serious and half-joking.

"I'm working on it," Eleanara stated, her thumbs hooked under the shoulder straps determinedly.

Kharin let the matter drop and turned to look at the rest of the group. As one, they glanced at the opening with some trepidation, unused to the amount of cold and wind that continued to pour from the mouth in a never ending stream. Two sheer walls rose up in a v shape that allowed the winds to pass through and led to a path that wound down the mountain, bending and twisting as it went so that the path was unclear from here. As Leeteuk stood at the opening, he shivered to himself, feeling the bite of the wind through his additional coat, and called back, "Perhaps now is a good time to try your idea, Eleanara."

All eyes but his turned to her and she shrunk in on herself uncertainly, for just an instant doubting what she had already decided upon. The moment passed as quickly as it had come and with a glance to Kharin who nodded reassurance, she clenched her hands tighter around the straps on her pack and nodded to herself. With a determined thought of what she wanted, she summoned a null-cold barrier large enough to cover their group if they weren't too spread out. The immediate expenditure took her breath away as she was unprepared for it, but after that passed she was well enough and a glance around showed that the others had felt the change in turn.

"Very nice, Eleanara," Siwon smiled as he threw an arm around her shoulder and embraced her in a congratulatory hug. She smiled weakly and looked around as the cessation of the biting cold seemed to make everyone seem more agreeable.

"We should be good for about an hour," she assured them, warning them that the barrier may fail if she wasn't able to sustain it while she walked. "It is fairly equidistant around me so I should probably be in the middle," she mused, thinking out loud.

"Let's not waste any more time than," Kyuhyun encouraged, stepping forward and getting the whole procession going, Leeteuk's placement in the lead notwithstanding. In accordance with the new order, Siwon gestured for her to precede him behind Kyuhyun who was following along in the wake of Summer. The neutralizer now traveled where Eleanara usually did and Eunhyuk and Kharin brought up the rear, an effective hind guard, and they looked quite smug about it too.

As the group walked, they could see the wind veering around them, flakes of snow carried in the swift passage of air. Eleanara and Summer could both sense the barrier contorting to bend around whatever walls they were close to so that it was constantly changing but it never altered any of the surfaces it skimmed along. The cost had been about what she expected and she wondered how long she would be able to maintain it At any rate, it seemed fairly important that it stay up while the wind carried on as it was right now; time enough to worry about the rest of it later.

Because of the respite from the wind, their travel was easier than they had first anticipated, having only to deal with the inches of snow they tread upon instead of that and fierce resistance. Kyuhyun sang softly as he normally would to pass time and the rest maintained a quiet undertone of conversation. The wind continued to howl around them so Eleanara was only able to catch snippets here and there, but Siwon at least tried to converse as he discussed the theory and possible uses of their elements. If nothing else, it helped to pass the time, even if she wasn't entirely focused on it. After about an hour, she felt the barrier begin to weaken and just before it would have failed, she reinforced it, recognizing the expenditure as less than what would be needed to recast it, but still notable.

Siwon noticed when Eleanara slowed and then paused as he had intentionally been keeping pace with her. He watched her expression closely and could tell that she had done something but it wasn't evident immediately. Gently, he placed an arm around her to help propel her forward at his pace. "Did you just sustain it?" he asked quietly, leaning down to speak into her ear and still supporting her though he could feel she didn't need it just yet.

"Yes. It would be more taxing to recast so I am just trying to maintain it for now," she assured him cheerfully, smiling bravely as she stepped forward to maintain her placement. She was grateful for his assistance but she couldn't rely on it. She had to be strong or at least that was what she told herself.

For the group as a whole, time dragged on and the path continued to wind, never changing greatly, but still sloping downward gently, one bend after another. At one point, they did have to take care going past a narrow section on an outcrop, but they all managed to file past without any mishaps, Leeteuk made it across first and carefully kept an eye on the others that followed, ready to use his ability if need be. Both Kyuhyun and Siwon kept close to Eleanara to make sure she was steady while the agile Kharin and Eunhyuk made it without incident. It was an odd sensation to feel the barrier bend around the mountain so much, but it was not enough to distract overly so. They resumed their journey without further ado and Eleanara had to sustain the barrier twice more before they finally called a halt for a break.

The last time she sustained it, she had nearly stumbled and only Siwon's quick step forward had managed to keep her standing. She smiled at him apologetically and he just kept a closer eye on her, measuring how much each renewal was costing her. At the rate they were going, she would not be able to keep it up for the rest of the day and he wondered what it would be like when she let the barrier down. He remained close to her when they stopped, looking around at the others with watchful eyes and waiting for a chance to speak to Leeteuk or Kharin.

When they paused on the path, sheltering as much as they could against the mountain, Leeteuk raised stone seats for them all while Kyuhyun sustained a fire in the midst. It was enough to keep them warmer, insulated against the cold by the barrier, and to melt snow to give them drinking water while they ate another ration. All of them were mindful this was day two and they had enough for ten days… supposedly. Already, they were getting bored of the simple fare and the changeless scenery.

On the plus side of things though, they discovered that within the barrier, their waterskins didn't freeze through as they had been doing. The water was still plenty cold but it was also a liquid they could drink easily. Even though it was day two, Leeteuk was mindful of the task before them and as he had been doing frequently, he continued to keep an eye on the other group members. Slowly, he ate his ration and watched the others interact, perched as they were on their seats. Kharin and Eunhyuk were finished eating and playing rock paper scissors to pass the time. Summer was talking with Kyuhyun who was partially paying attention to her, his concentration split between her and the fire, presumably. Siwon looked thoughtful and Eleanara simply seemed tired and distracted. Again, he caught her only finishing half her ration and he frowned. He knew as well as the rest of them that just because they didn't feel hungry, didn't mean they weren't.

He was about to go mention something to her when Siwon stood up and moved over next to him, pausing as he collected his thoughts. Leeteuk waited patiently. "I'm not sure she can keep the barrier up all day yet," Siwon finally stated quietly, glancing at Eleanara in concern. She was fidgeting with her waterskin, oblivious for the time being.

Leeteuk sighed and nodded to himself. He had not been able to keep an eye on her like he would have preferred, but he had figured as much. "We are still new to our strengths," he stated quietly. "Hopefully, she'll recognize when she should stop."

Siwon looked at him skeptically. "You know she intends to keep it up as long as we keep moving."

There was nothing the older man could say to that. As long as they'd know her, Eleanara was not one to complain much but neither was she one to ask for help when she needed it, as the other night had proven adeptly. He wasn't as worried about the rest, since they seemed unconcerned for the time being and he was glad for them, but he couldn't make any of them do anything they didn't want to. "Just keep an eye on her," he stated, more of a request than a demand, as he stood up and placed a hand on the taller man's shoulder.

"Of course," Siwon smiled, his expression confident.

With that, Leeteuk had to be satisfied as he completely forgot to check on her when they started to get up. They only rested as long as it took them to eat, drink and catch their breaths before they were back on their feet and moving again. Unsurprisingly, despite the fact that they weren't fighting the wind, they all began to feel the effects of walking in several inches of snow for the greater part of the day. Eleanara wasn't the only one whose pace slowed down, though it may well have been Leeteuk doing so consciously based on their ability and his own. His feet were the ones breaking the path for them so it was easier to tread but that didn't mean it was easy for those behind him. Still, for Eleanara, the burden of maintaining the barrier was beginning to wear on her and she could feel it. A brief look around showed that she was having a harder time than the rest. "Bugger it," she muttered to herself as she felt the barrier weakening again, the second time after their break. As she reached out to sustain it, she felt her world spin for just a second and then she stumbled forward, reaching blindly for support.

Kyuhyun lurched forward when he felt something bump into him from behind and then leaned backwards perilously as the same force stopped and pulled. "Hey," he grumbled as he felt the weight cling to him despite his attempt to walk forward. "What gives?" he demanded, turning around to glare at Eleanara who Siwon was helping to stand, lifting her under the arms to set her upright, a concerned expression on his face.

"Forgive me," she breathed, her complexion pale as she clung to Siwon for his strength.

The procession ground to a halt as the rest looked to see what had caused the disruption in the middle. "What's up?" Kharin and Eunhyuk asked as they came up behind Siwon to look down at Eleanara. Of course they had seen her fall and it was impossible not to notice the drained expression she wore but they kept the worry from their faces with an effort. Kharin met Siwon's gaze and he sighed with a shrug. That was all he needed to do and she sighed and shook her head. Sensing her frustration, Eunhyuk nudged her with an elbow, prompting her to laugh.

"I just stumbled," Eleanara tried to assure them, desperate not to let them know how much it had affected her just yet.

Leeteuk and Summer came up around Kyuhyun who still seemed annoyed that she had chosen his pack to hang on but his expression didn't last. Leeteuk moved closer and peered down at her. "You've been sustaining the barrier all day. Are you sure you're okay?" She nodded fiercely and swallowed hard. He looked at her skeptically but didn't say anything further to her. "Kyuhyun. Would you mind taking point for now?" he asked instead, directing his gaze at the other man who shrugged and slogged ahead, Summer joining him shortly. "Come on then," he urged, reaching out his hand so she could take it, ignoring her reluctance.

Uncertainly, she reached out and slid her hand into his so that he could help to pull her along. Siwon stayed close behind her but with Leeteuk's help in moving forward, her steps were more sure and she didn't stumble as much, even just on snow. Kharin and Eunhyuk drifted to the back again but they remained alert and the former kept a closer eye on the three in the center.

In the lead, Summer helped to keep Kyuhyun at the path the others were setting, keeping tabs on the ebb and flow of the field around them as it melded with the surfaces it came in contact with. The pair peered ahead through the snow obscured view, conceding that they were coming to another one-sided path with a steep drop down on the other side but at least the path was wide so they didn't have to worry about being near the edge. Even so, the party slowed down considerably and made their steady way across, cautious and alert. Leeteuk in particular paid attention to the feel of the ground beneath them, reading the strength of the platform they walked upon. It didn't feel as if it was going to give any time soon but he was vigilant just in case.

Steadily, the group plodded on, gradually becoming aware that even with the null cold barrier, as the sun continued to dip closer to the mountain walls, the temperature began to drop and while the wind did not bite into them, that did not mean they were not cold. The barrier protected them from the majority of it but after the relative warmth she had granted them, the drop in temperature was noticeable. Around the end of the next hour when Leeteuk was aware that the barrier should be about to fail, he paid closer attention to Eleanara. Easily, he read her body language as he felt her hand tighten in his and he knew that she was about to try and sustain the barrier again. Over her head, he glanced back at Siwon in warning and nodded as he slowed up just as he felt her falter completely. Both reached to catch her and were successful in stopping her from falling face first into the snow.

Gently, they laid her down and Siwon called ahead, "Wait up! Eleanara's down."

Kharin and Eunhyuk came running up, peering over Siwon's shoulders in concern. "What happened?" they asked as one, sharing brief amused glances before looking at Siwon whose gaze went from one to the other quickly.

Summer hurried back from the front to see what had happened, taking note of the cluster around Eleanara while Kyuhyun remained stubbornly at the front, annoyance on his face. After a second, he moved grudgingly back towards the core group too.

The circle peered down at Eleanara in concern when her eyes fluttered open and she blinked in confusion, briefly disoriented. "Oh dear," she murmured worriedly as her eyes met Leeteuk's. "Did I faint?" she asked with a cringe, glancing around at the rest of the concerned faces.

"You did," Leeteuk agreed somberly, nodding to Siwon to help give her a lift to her feet. Easily, they hefted her up, the action almost upsetting her balance again by their combined effort. Reflexively, she gripped tight to their sleeves and grit her teeth. "That's better," he smiled, glancing around.

Kharin and Eunhyuk sighed in relief, reassuring grins coming to their faces. "Don't worry us like that," she chided, reaching out to nudge Eleanara's chin with her fingers while Eunhyuk reached out to ruffle her hair, bringing a ghost of a smile to her face.

As a group and through her, they were beginning to understand the effort it took to sustain a barrier as large as hers was for as long as she was. She gave the smaller woman another reassuring smile before she took her spot at the back of the group and summoned a small sphere of darkness that she cradled in her palm, watching it intently, intent upon maintaining it as long as possible. Eunhyuk at least waited until they had started walking again before he summoned his own sphere of wind which he sent spinning around his traveling partner teasingly.

Kyuhyun returned to the front, ignoring what was going on behind him while Summer resumed her spot, keeping an eye on the barrier as she had been before. The strength did not change, except for when it was about to wane, but it fluxed constantly depending on what they were near. Siwon and Leeteuk kept an eye on Eleanara as they traveled forward, the smallest sandwiched in the middle. Leeteuk took her hand and pulled her forward through the snow as he had been before they paused. He could feel her dragging, despite his efforts to keep her moving forward. At least they would have to stop before too long simply based on light, or the lack thereof.

Despite whatever weakness afflicted Eleanara, there was only one thing to do and that was to keep moving forward as a group. They couldn't very well stop for any extended period of time as they had to progress as fast as possible, nor did she want them pausing on her behalf. There was no way around the fact that time was ultimately against them and the people they were meant to protect. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent though, that even with the helping hand, Eleanara was struggling more and more as they day wore on. Granted, the effects of walking all day in the snow began to show with the rest as well; a stumble here, one foot dragging there and both Kharin and Eunhyuk had dispersed their spheres with frustrated waves. Even Kyuhyun seemed a bit winded by the continuous motion forward.

Plumes of frosted breath billowed out in front of each individual, each breath an effort as every step was forced. Legs that normally cooperated felt leaden and unresponsive as even the stronger members of the group began to stumble. It was not long before each pair was relying on the other, hands clasped to help support the other when they faltered. Iron determination kept Leeteuk and Siwon from faltering as bad since they had none to support them. Kharin and Eunhyuk noticed from the back that the three in the center were faltering more and they felt slightly guilty having the easiest time with the snow being completely broken for them.

Before the next hour was up, Kharin bypassed Siwon smoothly and placed a hand on Eleanara's shoulder. "Give me your pack," she suggested, already starting to take the strap under her hand.

Their actions paused as Leeteuk turned and smiled appreciatively at Kharin. He released Eleanara's hand so she could slide out from under the pack. Somewhat embarrassed by her lapse, she was slow to disentangle herself, which gave the pair head time to walk out from under the barrier and they exclaimed in surprise at the unexpected temperature change before coming back around to see what the hold-up was. Apologetically, she met their gazes and Summer sighed and shook her head but she was wearing a smile. Kyuhyun just looked annoyed and impatient, as per usual. Noticing his expression, Summer smacked his shoulder and glared at him.

As soon as Kharin had the pack, she returned to the back with Eunhyuk, a shrug indicating she didn't mind. She as least understood physical strength was not one of Eleanara's strong points, but neither did she just give up. It had become a habit of hers to help compensate for the weaker woman's shortcomings and vice versa.

Oblivious to the thought process of her friend, Eleanara took Leeteuk's proffered hand once more and they were able to resume walking, albeit a bit more slowly than they had before. They kept an eye on the setting sun too, aware that they would need to stop before full dark set in. Both Eleanara and Kyuhyun could light the way but it was dangerous to walk a mountain path in reduced light; a misstep could spell disaster. Eleanara began to get nervous as she felt the end of the next hour approaching and her grip tightened reflexively again. If her last reaction had her blacking out, however briefly, she was concerned what this one would do. She didn't want to be a burden but they could all feel the temperature continuing to fall, despite the continued presence of the barrier, and it wasn't quite dusk yet.

Leeteuk pulled her up closer to him when he picked up on her tension, equally aware the hour was coming to a close. "You could let it fall," he suggested softly, his eyes glancing down at her quickly and then facing forward.

Briefly, Eleanara thought about it and while it would have been a relief of sorts, she couldn't let herself go that path yet. Slowly, she shook her head, taking in their surroundings and watching the way the increased snowfall bent around the barrier. It seemed as if the mountain was against them just now for the snow had increased, cutting their visibility drastically. "Unless you want to stop early, it is better that I try than get us all lost in the snow by lack of action." She sighed and chewed her lip, taking strength from his hand tightening on hers. When she looked up to meet his gaze, she was surprised to see a smile of quiet pride on his face.

"I think you may be right on this one. This time," he added with a wink, feeling a slight twinge of guilt.

Catching the snippet of conversation, Siwon reached out to smack Leeteuk's shoulder with a warning glance. The latter shook his head and motioned to Eleanara with his eyes. 'Her choice,' he mouthed stubbornly. Siwon frowned and then rolled his eyes, glancing back at the rear guard who were watching the exchange with some interest. He waved back at them so they wouldn't be worried and then took a deep breath, moving closer to Eleanara in preparation.

Eleanara smiled wanly and meticulously, she counted back to this morning, marking each barrier off in her mind. Overall, she had cast and sustained seven large barriers today, not counting the two personal ones this morning. This one would make eight… The timing alarm in the back of her mind went off and she took another deep breath. "Here goes nothing." She closed her eyes and reached to sustain the barrier just this once more. She was aware of the power answering and inexplicably, awareness fled entirely.

Prepared for the reaction, Leeteuk and Siwon both caught her before she could fall very far. As one, they exchanged glances. She was so light… "Hold up!" they called ahead Kharin and Eunhyuk moved closer, uncertain. "She's reached her limit," Leeteuk explained as the others from the front moved close enough to hear.

"Dummy," Kyuhyun muttered, frowning at her unconscious body.

"I prompted it," Leeteuk maintained, focusing on Kyuhyun.

"What? Why?" Kharin demanded, coming around Siwon again, Eunhyuk stopping short next to the taller man.

"She needs to learn her limits. As we all do," Leeteuk stated calmly, meeting Kharin's angry gaze evenly. The warning that had been Eleanara's was blatantly clear. "Better she learn it here, at the beginning of the journey then out there." He gestured to the vast expanse of unknown space they had yet to traverse, gradually growing dark and shadowed.

Slowly, Kharin unbent as she looked between the composed Leeteuk and the sleeping Eleanara. Mutely, she nodded in agreement and though she didn't like it, she did back down this time. "I just hope you know what you're doing," she murmured as she fell back to the rear again, a confused Eunhyuk caught in the middle.

"So do I," Leeteuk whispered to himself as he observed Eleanara sleeping, still slumped between him and Siwon.

"She's just sleeping, right?" Eunhyuk asked uncertainly, looking at her pale complexion. He looked back at Kharin who still fumed slightly and then back at Leeteuk.

"It's okay. She just exhausted herself," he assured him before returning his gaze to her unconscious one. "We'll keep moving until it gets dark," he insisted, moving to pick her unresisting body up.

Siwon forestalled him. "I'll take her for now," he assured the other man. "You've helped her most of the day already," he laughed, scooping the light frame into his arms easily. He looked ahead to Kyuhyun and Summer and nodded. Leeteuk mirrored the motion and with a resigned sigh, the front of the party moved forward again.

"Maybe we can get to full dark before we have to stop again," Kyuhyun muttered, annoyed. Before the sheltered hour was up, he used a flare spell to help guide the way and when the barrier at last fell, they were all blasted by the full force of the snowy wind. Grudgingly, even he was forced to admit that the barrier had been very useful; not the least of which was because it helped to keep the snow directly out of their eyes. His flare was plenty bright, but he had to keep squinting around the snow that perpetually flew into his eyes. At last, he paused, reaching out a hand to stall Summer as she plodded doggedly forward, one foot after the other. "We can't keep moving forward in this weather," he admitted heavily, waiting for the rest to catch up.

Leeteuk was the first to come into range, as they had all fallen back since the barrier had fallen. He paused and turned to wait for the others, sighing quietly when Siwon appeared from the snow with Eleanara still cradled in his arms. Not too much further past him were Kharin and Eunhyuk, carrying the pack between them. They nearly bumped into the stalled party as their hoods were pulled down far enough to mostly keep the snow out of their eyes. "Time for a break?" Eunhyuk asked hopefully as he set down his side of the pack, while Kharin quickly followed suit.

"We'll stop here for the night," Leeteuk agreed, looking to Kyuhyun. "A little more light, please?" he asked softly, facing the mountain he was determined to use to their advantage.

"Tch. Not a problem," Kyuhyun smirked, casting a brighter flare above them, enough to illuminate most of the wall in the immediate area and a fair distance up.

"Careful," Summer warned, still standing near him. "There's a lot of snow above us," she cautioned softly, keeping an eye upwards to make sure the intense heat didn't start something drastic. As it was, snow turned to rain in the immediate vicinity and evaporated completely when too close to the flare spell.

Leeteuk ignored it for now and focused on his own task at hand. Carefully, he raised rock walls from the ground nearest the mountainside and when he had brought them higher than the tallest of their group and deeper than any of their members when laying down, he brought a roof over the top to protect them from the falling snow. Slowly, he raised a gentle barrier at the base to keep snow from piling up on them as best as possible. He didn't want to close them off completely but they needed the breaker from the wind. After a brief moment of inspection, he nodded to himself. It would work for now. He looked at the others and they were regarding him with no small amount of surprise. "What?" he asked, completely unphased. "It's better than a tent," he shrugged, shucking off his pack to pull out the waterproof blanket.

Kharin quickly followed his example and set her blanket down inside next to his. "Nice work, Teuk," she smiled, glancing at the interior. Even just standing there, after being in the wind, the rock face provided a most welcome barrier.

As an example, Leeteuk set his pack along the back, indicating that there was space for all of their packs to fit inside and he gestured for them to join him out of the cold wind. Siwon stepped up and handed Eleanara over gently, allowing him to shed his pack and step inside without having to worry about the raised lip. Eunhyuk hauled Eleanara's pack in after them and settled it next to Leeteuk's while he dropped his own in line with the rest. Abruptly, he plopped down and dug out a ration, watching as the others followed at their own pace.

Because Kyuhyun had not dampened the flare spell after everything had been set up, Summer did it for him, to his consternation. "Stop playing with fire," she muttered, heading in and settling down next to Siwon who was looking over Eleanara with Leeteuk.

"How's she doing?" Kharin asked, leaning over Eunhyuk's lap for a better view. He seemed uncertain how to react and then just used her as a prop to lean on, to her amusement.

"Sleeping," Leeteuk and Siwon answered at the same time with a wry smile. Leeteuk removed his glove and placed a warm hand against her cheek. "She still feels cold though," he sighed, reaching for her pack.

Almost reluctantly, Kyuhyun moved closer at that point, bringing the flare spell with him. The temperature around them rose a couple degrees automatically. Leeteuk paused what he was doing to look back at the fire elementalist before he nodded in acknowledgement. Kyuhyun made a dismissive gesture but a smile pulled at his mouth. He did mention, "If you feel like making a platform later, I figured out how she charged the light spell to an item. I think anyway," he added, still a bit unsure. He hadn't actually done it himself, but he figured he understood the theory.

"I'll do that," Leeteuk assured him, reaching to retrieve Eleanara's sleeping roll awkwardly. Siwon helped him instead and just grabbed the whole pack so it would be easier to remove from the bottom. He grabbed the sleeping roll and then retrieved one of the rations which he set down carefully before replacing the bag and fishing a ration bar out of his own.

While the rest were settling down, Leeteuk attended to Eleanara, feeling semi-responsible for her predicament. At that moment, he would have given much to have even a fraction of her ability to heal. Instead, he had to use standard methods and hope that she wasn't too far gone in sleep just yet. "Eleanara," he spoke quietly, cradling her with one arm and using his free one to smooth her wind-blown hair out. The hood had fallen back to reveal the golden hair, shimmering playfully in the firelight. Carefully, he shook her with the arm propping her up and her eyes twitched, though closed. "Wake up, Eleanara," he crooned, running his fingers along her cheek caringly.

"Mmm…" she finally sighed, coming around slowly as she curled closer to his body instinctively. The reaction made the others laugh as he hadn't expected it and it helped to bring her to consciousness at the startling sound. "Huh?" she blinked sleepy eyes and then realized she was lying against someone's chest. "Ummm…" she murmured nervously, realizing almost instantly it was Leeteuk for which she was both thrilled and horrified. "Sorry- Thank you… Sorry?" she didn't quite know what to settle on as she sat up awkwardly, and tried to figure out how to get off his lap without placing a hand somewhere it didn't belong; all the while the rest of the group was laughing, a forced but welcome sound. She squeaked when Kyuhyun hooked his hands under her arms and hauled her backwards to set her between him and Leeteuk, a position she wasn't sure how she felt about.

"Dummy," he shook his head and took another bite of his ration which was nearly finished. He laughed when her stomach responded to the sight of food and he nodded his head over to her other side.

Leeteuk was just finishing composing himself when Siwon handed him the ration he had pulled out for Eleanara. "Here," he grinned, an impish smile on his face.

Graciously, Leeteuk accepted the food and then turned to give it to Eleanara. "Welcome back to consciousness," he stated, relief evident in his voice.

Eleanara took the food and nibbled on it before she looked around at the faces reclining in the shelter…shelter? When had that happened? Immediately, she forced herself to focus and addressed them all, "I'm sorry to have been a burden to you today."

"Eleanara," Kharin chided, taking offense to her self-deprecation.

"Well, we did have to stop three times," Kyuhyun recalled, looking at her with a sidelong glance.

"Stop that," Summer grumbled. "You appreciated it as much as the rest of us," she added, leaning forward to pierce him with her glare. He failed to comment after that.

Eunhyuk leaned forward and waved to get her attention. "It's not as if we got very far after your barrier went down anyway. It is what let us move along as fast as we did." He gave her a thumbs up sign and grinned, "So thanks."

Siwon's chuckle drew their attention, "And it's not as if you're particularly heavy." Eleanara colored as she realized he must have carried her at some point.

"Honestly I think her pack is heavier than she is," Kharin laughed, nudging Eunhyuk in the ribs playfully.

"And when did you carry her?" he asked pointedly, a mischievous grin on his face.

Kharin seemed about to retort when Leeteuk directed a question at Siwon. "Do you think you could provide us with water this evening?"

"Gladly," he answered, reaching a long arm around to snag the pot dangling from his pack. It was easier to retrieve that way. Theatrically, he waved his hand over the empty pot and in the blink of an eye, water sloshed within the container. "Tada!" he grinned, handing off the filled container to Leeteuk who handed it over to Kyuhyun as the 'first' in line.

Hardly bashful, he drained about a quarter of it despite the raised brows. Awkwardly, he handed it off to Eleanara as she hurried to set the ration down and then took the pot with both hands, drinking carefully. She was nearly the exact opposite of Kyuhyun, taking just enough to wash the food down and wet her throat. "Thank you," she murmured, acknowledging both Siwon for calling it and Kyuhyun for handing it off. The former smiled graciously and the latter seemed mildly abashed. Eleanara was fairly oblivious to their reactions since she was passing the container to Leeteuk and she dearly didn't want to spill it on him. The exchange happened without mishap and when it got back to Siwon, he refilled it and passed it down the line after taking his share.

They all agreed that Siwon's water had a pure taste very much like fresh melted snow, but a bit cooler on the palate that was not unpleasant at all. Hesitant to break the pleasant mood, Leeteuk nevertheless stood up and looked around, careful not to jostle Eleanara in his effort to stand up. "Did we wish to take a watch again or would you prefer I close us off for the night?" he gestured towards the opening in their shelter.

"It would probably be better to keep a watch," Kharin sighed, rather enjoying the thought of not needing one. At the annoyed looks that came her way, primarily from Kyuhyun, she added, "It's better if we don't lose what little awareness we have just managed to establish. We don't know what's out here." Her gaze turned thoughtful as she looked into the dark beyond the ball of fire that still lit their enclosure.

As if in answer to the silent question, something in the distance rumbled and though they all looked at each other, none of them could tell if it was from a creature or the mountain itself. Kharin shrugged uncertainly and that decided the rest. They opted for a pattern very like the one they had the first night but everyone rotated and despite her protests otherwise, Eleanara was given the tail end of the watch until she was able to sustain the barriers all day or they got out of the snow as they unanimously agreed she needed the rest. With the new pattern, Leeteuk took first watch and the rest followed thereafter with Kharin, Kyuhyun, etc.

While the others were settling down for their rest, Leeteuk knelt in front of Eleanara, looking at her over the low barrier, and asked, "Do you think you're up for another watch light?" He offered her an oblong piece of rock that wasn't too heavy but would be easy to wrap and point.

Eleanara took the rock and had to think about it before she could answer. "I think so. Maybe…" She gave a smile that verged on cringing.

"Whatever you can manage would be most appreciated," he assured her, an uncertain glance out the shelter an indicator of his concern.

"Do you think something's out there?" she asked quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Leeteuk nodded slowly. "I know there's something out there, but I don't know if it's dangerous to us or not." Testing, he placed a hand on the ground and closed his eyes. Eleanara copied him but she couldn't tell any difference. When he opened his eyes he had to laugh and he shook his head. "I was listening through the earth. I don't think she'll talk to you quite so clearly," he reached out a hand to ruffle her hair initially and then stopped simply to smooth it down. "The light?" he asked when she seemed distracted.

"Oh…" Eleanara shook her head and berated herself for the slip. She focused on the rock in her hands and took a deep breath. In measured increments, she tapped out the number of charges she wanted to bestow and took another deep breath. It was a good possibility that she would black out again, but hopefully not for a prolonged period of time. Quietly, she cast the charges and felt the power answer and leave, rushing to the object she intended to store it in. All of a sudden, her sight blurred before her and she dropped the brightly lit rock into her lap, flailing to catch herself as her equilibrium seemed to vanish.

Leeteuk reached out to support her, noticing Kyuhyun reflexively moving to catch her, but pausing seeing she didn't need it. Siwon nudged Leeteuk firmly. "Stop pushing her, Teuk. That nap wasn't nearly enough," he chided softly, looking at her dazed expression in concern while he reached around to brush a strand of hair from her face. She felt Leeteuk let go reluctantly and tried to focus on him.

"I…I'm good," she murmured quietly, fervently denying she was anything but.

Kyuhyun sighed, "Dummy. Just rest already." Before she knew what he was doing, he had gently but firmly pulled her from Leeteuk and against his body where he then laid down with her cradled in the hollow he created. She was asleep almost before she had closed her eyes.

Siwon stifled a laugh and reached down to retrieve the watch light she had made for them. "Just keep an eye out," he winked, though there was a certain alertness to him that made Leeteuk think he felt something too. Perhaps he could listen through the snow as he did through the earth. A curious glance over at Eunhyuk showed him sleeping but the thought did occur to him that maybe he could listen through the wind. He would have to ask them about it later. Once more, he looked back at the resting Eleanara, apologetic and proud at the same time. He did not favor pushing her like he was, but he would have to be the one that did that for the rest of them as well. It was the only way they were going to grow.

While sleeping rolls were being laid over paired bodies, Leeteuk pulled up a rock chair and sat down, calmly wrapping the lit stone so that he could point a beam of light if need be. Kyuhyun's flare spell finally wore down and belatedly he realized he had said he would make that platform for the fire but perhaps it was just as well. At least the watch light he could cover and help to hide their presence. His thoughts were many and he had already come to the conclusion that if they had time, then they would all mature into greater power, but…with the world already at war, he doubted they would be given the chance to grow. A change would have to be forced. Absently, he played with the makeup of the earth in front of him, watching as the snow rose and fell with the rippling of rock beneath.

It was nearing the end of his watch and the others were still sleeping peacefully when a whisper of sound traveled to him through the earth. Curious, he placed a hand to the ground to listen better and in reaction, tore the wrap off the watch light, flooding the area with illumination. Immediately, four massive snow wolves pulled up short on either side of him, yipping in distress and temporarily blinded. Leeteuk screamed a warning and flung himself into the shelter with the rest of the sleepers who were coming to their senses. In a panic, he used his power to close off the front of the shelter, cringing when the impact of massive bodies reverberated in the walls.

By that time, the rest of the group was getting to their feet and Kharin asked, "What is it?" Her eyes were alarmed and wild in the light from the rock Eleanara had charged.

"What's wrong?" Kyuhyun demanded in the same breath, reaching out to grasp the arm of Leeteuk who gasped, taking great gulps of air.

"Snow wolves…I think," he murmured, still staring at the wall as more impacts sounded.

"Can't be," Siwon shook his head in denial. "There's no way they're that large…"

A scratching sound alerted them to something new and they were chilled when they all realized it was from the creatures outside digging. "Can they dig through rock?" Eunhyuk asked into the relative quiet, moving closer to Kharin who reached for him in turn, seeking some sort of reassurance.

"Looks like it," Summer frowned, alarm evident in her voice as she backed away from where the dirt under where the front of the shelter had been began to give way. Siwon grabbed her and pulled her back, letting them all see the earth shift in front of them.

Quickly, Leeteuk shored it up and held the light higher, making sure he didn't miss anything. The sound of the wolves growling outside was frightening in the relative quiet they were able to maintain. Of them all, only Eleanara had remained unaffected, lost in sleep. Mindfully, Siwon reached down and picked her up, holding her close so that she wouldn't get stepped on. Leeteuk continued to repair the damage inflicted on the structure, flinching when another body crashed against the outside. All of a sudden, the sound just stopped and they held their collective breaths.

Into the quiet, Summer asked, "Is it over?" The query was met by an ear splitting howl torn from four different throats. The reverberations echoed in the shelter and made the rock wall begin to vibrate and shake. One of the howls died out but the other three continued while the group within crouched and covered their ears as best they could, Siwon having the most difficulty. While they were distracted, the fourth creature threw itself against the shaky structure, denting the wall inward with the force of its momentum.

Eunhyuk and Kharin screamed as it came from their side, the wall beginning to give, and they pressed against those behind them. Immediately, Leeteuk was there, pushing the wall back out to the anger of the wolf on the other side. "This is not good," he murmured tensely, feeling the strength of the shelter wavering just a bit. Just as quickly as the howling had started, it stopped and they felt a moment of relief before a new rumble started. Leeteuk was the only one to truly appreciate the magnitude of what they now faced. "And that's worse." His frown was severe as they all felt the ground beneath them begin to shake and thunder from above come tearing at them. "It's an avalanche," he warned them, unsure if he would be able to sustain the shelter.

The ground beneath them began to shift with the increased rumbling and they all backed against the rock face that had been solid enough just a moment before. "Oh come on!" Eunhyuk cried, trying to brace himself against the walls to keep from sliding forward. Siwon had no such luxury and he, along with Kyuhyun, Summer and Leeteuk, ended up against the 'face' of the shelter.

"Brace yourselves!" Leeteuk warned, conforming the rest of the shelter to his will, maintaining one solid structure even as it shifted. As he struggled to maintain what he had built, the floor suddenly dropped out from under them and they were lifted upward and then flung against the back wall painfully before being dropped to the floor again.

A collective scream came from all of them, the fear stricken faces illuminated by the watch light that bounced around with them as Leeteuk fiercely fought to maintain the integrity of their shelter…the only barrier they had between them and the flowing, hungry mountain of snow carrying them away. The face of the shelter cracked, a spider web of fissures spreading across the surface as they hit something, the occupants thrown forward at the impact. The wall held but the shelter continued rolling over, the persons within unable to stop it. Carefully, Leeteuk made the shelter smaller in an attempt to keep them from being thrown about too badly and melded his limbs with the fracturing structure, desperate to keep it whole. Already, he could see blood smearing several of them in the flashes of light provided and he knew it would get worse before this was over.

He lost track of how long they fell…how many times he had to repair the wall around them… how much strength it took to hold onto consciousness. He had never imagined he would have to test his own limits quite so soon. It helped when he didn't keep his eyes open to see the damage done; when he just felt what he had to repair, whispered to him through the rock. While he was better able to cushion his own person, there was little he could do to help the others, or prevent them from crashing into him. Soon, even concern for them had to be pushed back as he was forced to concentrate harder and harder on keeping the structure whole. If it failed, they were all doomed… Abruptly, he sensed them in freefall again and he tensed, waiting for the moment of impact. The shelter met something hard and everyone was flung to his side where he was pinned beneath several bodies and at the same time, he felt the impact side failing. With a scream of defiance, he threw the last of his strength into making sure it didn't crumple and then everything went dark.


	5. Chapter 5

Awareness came slowly to Eleanara as tired eyes opened to dim light in a dark enclosure. Her first thought was simply that she was uncomfortable and sore which quickly gave way to the realization that she was laying on someone…several someone's in fact and there was no sign of any opening above them which led to a brief flash of panic. She beat it down fiercely as dim light from beneath her illuminated the area slightly, allowing her to see the solid structure around them. "Huh?" Confusion reigned in her mind as she tried to put the fragments of memory together but all she could recall was falling asleep next to Kyuhyun…and she had the distinct impression that she had been tossed around at some point, judging by the soreness she felt.

As she regained her senses, she looked down to see who she was laying on after all. "Siwon?" she started, moving his arm off her abdomen where it had been resting. Then she gasped as she saw the rest of them splayed out along the back in various states of unconsciousness and discomfort. To her horror, they were all covered in blood; some far more than others. "Guys?" she asked, trying again a bit louder. When no one responded, she reached out and grabbed Siwon's face in her hands. He was the easiest to reach so she figured she would start with him. "Siwon?" she asked worriedly, shaking his face gently in her hands.

He groaned weakly but dark eyes finally flickered open slowly and he seemed dazed when he first looked at her. "Eleanara?" he asked laying a hand on her shoulder slowly before he sat up, aware that he was laying on someone else. Awkwardly, he stood up, careful not to step on Kyuhyun who was beneath him, or Leeteuk who was slightly under the former. He swayed when he stood and Eleanara struggled to support him, his greater weight offsetting her and wincing when she saw the large gashes down his arms and the blood on his back.

"Are you alright?" she asked, taking into consideration that he was wounded but conscious. She needed to see how the others had fared before she started throwing her healing ability around, as much as she wanted to heal them all immediately. This was not a place where she could just cast cure and restore them to consciousness as if nothing had happened. It was not like back at the monastery where they had simply been rendered unconscious… The greater the injury, the greater the amount of energy needed to rectify it. She had learned that much at least, within the monastery. "What happened?" she asked leaning down to wake Kyuhyun who seemed a bit more banged up than Siwon. Blood was splashed liberally down the side of his face where a head gash had bled profusely and his arm seemed quirked at a funny angle, but she couldn't be sure it was broken just yet. In the face of such injuries, her question was lost almost immediately.

The other man came to with a couple shakes to the uninjured shoulder and he grimaced when he tried to move. Awkwardly, he tried to move off of Leeteuk, carefully placing his feet so as not to step on him. Shakily, Siwon gave him a hand up so that they were leaning against the slanted wall. Kyuhyun had definitely mangled his arm and his legs also looked abused with several bloody patches. Still sore, Eleanara hurried to Leeteuk's side only to find that he had fused his hands and feet with the wall; a feat she had not even considered possible until just this moment. She gasped that the right hand was bent at an unnatural angle and had to have been broken, if not worse. His left hand looked severely bruised, but was at least easy enough to pull out of the crumbling wall. For that matter, so were the rest of his limbs, but when she carefully rolled him over, she could see he had a large patch of red over his abdomen where it looked as if he had been stabbed. "Oh no," she gasped, bringing her ear over his mouth to make sure he was breathing. A thin wispy breath tickled her ear and she thanked the stars he was alive. Carefully, she propped him against her to support his badly bruised body and looked back at the others. To her relief, Summer, Kharin and Eunhyuk were all coming around, wounded in their own turn, but functional.

Eunhyuk had a bloody nose where his face had connected with the wall at one point and he had several lacerations there, but seemed otherwise unharmed, fortunately. Kharin looked like her shoulder was dislocated and she was hunched over, clearly favoring her left side. Summer remained sitting, inspecting a twisted ankle that may well have been broken, and nursed several other gashes. Everyone was subdued but conscious, except for Leeteuk.

"Are we all accounted for?" Kharin asked, a catch to her voice where it appeared it was hard to breath. Eleanara filed it in the back of her mind that she may well have suffered internal injuries as well.

"Teuk's alive," she called back, letting her hand slowly slide over his chest and abdomen, feeling for any further injury. As she figured, the right wrist was broken and his left ankle had been fractured. He had a puncture wound in his abdomen that she thought she felt had pierced something inside. "Come back to us," she whispered in his ear softly, closing her eyes and placing her right hand over his stomach wound. A gentle warmth spread out from under her hand and seeped into his body. With her eyes closed, she could feel the progress that it made, first repairing the subcutaneous damage to his internal organs and then knitting the flesh back together again before dispersing to his appendages. The ankle was fused back together while the wrist slid back into place, bone sliding on bone audibly. Minor wounds were addressed at the same time and even when she felt the warmth recede to indicate that the healing was completed, she remained where she was, her hand resting lightly across his chest instead. The steady rise and fall of his chest was reassuring and the stronger sound of his breathing gave her confidence that it had worked. "Teuk," she whispered, tightening her arms around him as much as her tired self would let her. "Leeteuk," she tried again, willing him to wake up.

It seemed an eternity passed but at last, she felt his left hand close gently over her right hand. "It's alright, Eleanara," he whispered softly, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

"I'm glad you're okay," she smiled into his shoulder, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. Quickly, she blinked them away and started to untangle herself. Annoyed, she could tell that his had been more of a major healing and it had cost her. Plaintively, she reached up for a helping hand and Siwon stepped forward to assist, helping to haul her to her feet easily, though he favored his injured arm. While Kyuhyun helped Leeteuk to stand up with them, she paused where she was and laid a hand on Siwon's chest. Physical contact allowed her to read the extent of injuries like Leeteuk could listen through the earth. The medium was different but the effect was essentially the same. Bruises, scrapes, some deep gashes on his back and a nasty bump on his head proved the extent of his injuries. She was infinitely glad he had woken up since head wounds were tricky business. Slowly, the healing warmth spread through his body, knitting up torn flesh and smoothing out the bump on his head nicely.

"Oh…that's much better, Nara," he smiled appreciatively as he took a deep breath, glad that the room stopped feeling shaky.

"Kyu?" she asked, reaching out for him to take her hand. He helped to steady Leeteuk before he reached out and took her small hand in his. Leeteuk grasped her other hand and between the two of them, they guided her to the still injured man. A hand on his chest showed that he had torn ligaments in his arm and both of his legs were suffering from muscle strain and several puncture wounds. A frown crossed her face as she let the healing warmth spread through him and almost immediately, he stood up straighter, the pinched expression leaving his face. "Better?" she asked, a bit breathlessly.

"Much," he answered slowly, feeling mended but still tired. "Thank you." The relief was nearly indescribable and it helped to wash away the uncertainty of the moments before he had blacked out. He remembered falling and a desperate attempt to prevent additional harm before unconsciousness had claimed him.

Eleanara nodded her understanding and then looked at the other three. They seemed so far away… With a determined breath, she reached for Leeteuk's hand to help her across and then to Siwon's who propelled her to sit next to Summer. Tentatively, she placed a hand on Summer's chest, just above her breasts. "This might hurt," she warned quietly, threading the fingers of her free hand through Summer's closest one and holding tight. She felt an understanding squeeze and proceeded to heal her, the command silent but powerful. Simple wounds melted away and torn muscles were sewn together again but when the healing reached her ankle, Summer grit her teeth and growled as her hand tightened over Eleanara's. They heard bone grinding on bone as the ankle oriented itself; with one final click, everything settled into place and Summer sagged in relief.

She groaned and muttered, "You weren't kidding."

"Sorry," Eleanara chewed her lip and gripped her shoulder comfortingly. "I only do what I can," she assured the other woman, her breath low and tired. "Take your time in standing though," she added, looking back to Siwon for further assistance in getting up. She refused to ask Kharin who was still hunched over. Siwon helped her to stand next to Kharin while she placed a hand over her chest and frowned in thought. She had heard correctly. Something had pierced one of her lungs. Determinedly, she focused on the man on the other side of her. "Eunhyuk. Do you think you can get her shoulder back in its socket?" She would really rather not have to heal that…it would hurt more.

"I think so," he nodded, grabbing Kharin's arm uncertainly. "You ready?" he asked her when she looked at him with a grimace. She felt Eleanara's grip on her free arm tighten and she nodded. With a swift yank, they all heard the shoulder slide back into place while Kharin cried through clenched teeth, a garbled animal sound. "Sorry," Eunhyuk looked unhappy as he placed a hand on her shoulder to help her stand.

In her recovery period, Eleanara healed the rest of her, feeling the hole in her lungs disappear quickly and the rest of her become whole again. With a sense of relief, she stood up and took a deep breath, intensely grateful that she could inhale without pain. Eleanara swayed where she stood, the one hand clenched firmly to Kharin's sleeve so that she wouldn't drift away. She felt a supportive hand on her back and gave a silent thanks to whoever was behind her. "Hyuk?" she asked breathlessly, reaching her other hand to him.

Eunhyuk could see the state she was in and while she had been spared the most in their fall, thanks to Siwon, she was now the one suffering for it the most. Her normally pale complexion was whiter still and she looked tired and slightly woozy. Hesitantly, he reached out to take her hand and pulled her to him, wincing at how light she was. Kharin was right. It was possible her pack was heavier than her. "Easy," he urged, catching her shoulders as she kept moving forward, seemingly unable to stop her momentum.

"I'm alright," she blinked forcibly, focusing on him with an effort. To her credit, she didn't blanch at the state of his nose, covered in blood as it was. She simply nodded to herself and smiled bravely for him; however she did acknowledge she had reached her respective limits again. Bugger it… As she placed her hand on his chest, as she had for the others, she murmured with just a hint of a laugh, "Just be ready to catch me. Please," she added, closing her eyes. In answer, she felt his right arm slide around behind her and the left one remained on her shoulder. The power answered her sluggishly this time, straining to complete the task she was asking of it. Warmth spread from her hand, slow but steady and coursed through his body, addressing pulled muscles, torn skin and finally setting the broken nose, which made him grimace in pain and his eyes water. As the warmth faded away, Eleanara opened her eyes and managed to focus for just a second before everything blurred in front of her. "Oh dear," she gasped, as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her knees buckled.

Ready for it, Eunhyuk was almost caught by surprise at the suddenness of her faint. Only the fact that he had his arm around her already kept her from slipping from his grasp. "Hey!" he stated, stooping to support her better with his other arm.

"Eleanara!" the rest of the occupants cried in various states of concern.

Kharin moved first, being the nearest at hand. "Did she faint again?" With Eunhyuk, she reached behind the smaller woman and helped to support her, feeling his hand beneath hers. Carefully, she traced the stray strands of hair out of the unconscious woman's face and sighed.

Eunhyuk nodded, meeting the rest of their worried expressions and then Kharin's. "She expected it," he stated. "I think she could feel her limit this time." Carefully, he sat down in the crook of the inclining wall and what used to be the face of their shelter, settling Eleanara gently between his legs so she could use his chest as a resting place. "So what now?" he asked, his arms lightly encircling the small, unconscious woman in the hollow of his body.

The rest looked around uncertainly and Leeteuk was the first to answer. "It appears as if we fell off the mountain. Presumably we're somewhere on the face of it, but…" he placed a hand on the rock face closest to him and his sight turned distant. "We're completely covered in snow and debris," he sighed, confirming what he had been worried about. Conscious of the fact he was no longer injured, he flexed his hand experimentally and glanced at Eleanara again.

"Then we'll just have to dig ourselves out," Kyuhyun stated, a curious look in his eyes.

"Even you can't melt an entire avalanche of snow," Summer cautioned, aware that it might well just pile more snow on them.

"I can damn well try," he persisted, glaring at the wall. "I need you to open a hole in this rock so that I can get to it." He faced Leeteuk squarely, daring him to deny him this.

Leeteuk looked around at the others and they shrugged. "We've got nothing else to go on," Summer finally stated. "And we can't very well wait for it to melt." The general consensus agreed with that much.

Siwon stepped down to where shards of the rock Leeteuk had provided for the watch light were scattered at the bottom, along the fissured 'floor'. "There's no telling when our light will go out either and I'm not waking her up to cast the spell again," he stated firmly, glancing at the sleeping Eleanara. He had known exactly what he was doing when he had taken every knock he could for her. It was not an experience he wanted to repeat but it had been worth it for all their sakes as a glance around confirmed that while they were still bloodied, they were at least healed and standing. Leeteuk in fact had benefited from that the most and he had no illusions about who had kept the shelter in tact during the fall.

"Let him try," Kharin stated firmly, glancing at Eleanara. "The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can find out where we actually are." Absently, she moved forward to retrieve the pack nearest her and pulled it out of the way. Summer and Siwon helped where they stood so Kyuhyun would have a place to stand.

Leeteuk looked around for a few more seconds and then finally met Kyuhyun's gaze again. "Alright. But be careful not to keep it too close to us. The rock wall will not protect us from your power." Covered in snow the way they were, the shelter had become distinctly colder so that their breath plumed in front of their faces, but without the wind it was still bearable; a dry and constant cold. Hesitantly, he placed a hand on the face he intended to open and sighed. While he could tell that there was snow all around them, he couldn't tell how much specifically… Carefully, he opened a circular hole, about the size of the mixing bowls at the monastery, and frowned. Flecks of snow dripped in while the rest of it stayed put, but it was melting slowly. Probably due to the heat they produced just by being in here. "All yours," he gestured to Kyuhyun, stepping away and in front of Eleanara and Eunhyuk subconsciously.

Confidently, Kyuhyun moved up and placed his hand in the opening. His gloves kept him from the worst of the temperatures and as carefully as he could, he projected a fireball about the size of a small melon and pushed it forward slowly. Intently, the others watched as the fire hissed and sizzled where it met the snow directly, forging forward slowly. A low creaking sound forewarned that the snow was moving and a chunk fell directly on the fireball, hiding it from view as more snow shifted to fill the void that had been made. Annoyed, Kyuhyun made it larger and the hissing got louder. They could see the orange glow of the angry fire through the melting snow as some of the water trickled inward through the hole and began pooling at his feet.

The temperature in the shelter began to rise as the intense heat continued to melt the surrounding snow, the top layers shifting restlessly to fill the bottom. "Easy, Kyu," Siwon cautioned, pulling at the top of his coat as it continued to get warmer. Even as he said that, the whole structure shifted slightly, startling everyone, including Kyuhyun. Immediately, Summer cancelled the ability out, while the structure tilted forward and halted, the hole about a foot lower than it had been.

Uncertainly, Leeteuk placed a hand against the shelter and sighed. "I was afraid that might be the case." Quickly, he patched up the weakened areas but left the hole where it was. "We haven't reached the ground yet." Surprised expressions met his and he elaborated. "The snow's still the only thing holding us up." By his reckoning, they had hit something massive in the fall that had rendered him unconscious, but it had been the last of the major deterrents before they had settled in a nest of snow, weakened enclosure and all.

The others looked at each other in some concern. "So we're not done moving yet are we?" Kharin asked, perching next to Eunhyuk nervously. Still keeping one arm around Eleanara, he patted Kharin's shoulder comfortingly and she settled down next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Probably not." Resigned sighs echoed around him. None of them favored another fall like the last one and he couldn't even begin to give them an idea of what it would be like.

"What if we managed to get to the bottom?" Summer asked, eyeing Kyuhyun and the hole in the shelter speculatively.

Her question prompted curious looks from the rest. "And how would we manage that?" Kyuhyun responded skeptically, miffed that his attempt hadn't worked.

Summer shrugged. "I don't see why we can't just melt ourselves down to the bottom and go from there… At least then we would know we have nowhere else to go."

"Or just bury us further under more snow," Kyuhyun muttered darkly, earning him a worthy glare.

"Can't we just dig ourselves out?" Siwon threw out, trying to help prompt ideas.

Leeteuk shook his head immediately. "We have nowhere to put the displaced snow."

Eunhyuk perked up at a new thought. "Not dig, but what about a tunnel. Do you think we could handle that?"

"It's the same problem though," Leeteuk cocked his head to the side, briefly confused.

"Not if we work together," Eunhyuk persisted, the beginnings of an idea starting to come together. "We know the snow keeps shifting to replace whatever we take out, but what if we were able to keep that from happening?"

Their curiosity piqued, Summer asked, "How?"

"We freeze it," Siwon added, beginning to see where he was going with the idea. "But you still have to get the tunnel started."

"Kyu can do it," Eunhyuk answered easily, focusing on the fire elementalist. "It's the same thing you've been doing, but faster." He used the one hand to imitate a projectile. "If you can create the void of space we need, me and Siwon can freeze it solid." A glance at the water elementalist showed him grinning lopsidedly.

"Well, it's certainly worth a try," Kharin shrugged, feeling a bit helpless. "Here. Let me take her," she suggested, reaching for Eleanara's unconscious body. Carefully, Eunhyuk helped to transfer her over to Kharin, giving her a warm smile as he stood up and approached Kyuhyun. Siwon was right behind him.

"You up for it, Kyu?" they asked together, glancing at Leeteuk and Summer who were watching speculatively.

Kyuhyun gestured ineffectively. "I suppose it's worth a shot. If not, we can just think of something else, like flying out of here." The group frowned at him and he rolled his eyes. "If we're going to do this, we'll need a bigger door," he stated, looking at Leeteuk pointedly.

"Alright. Hold on a second," he cautioned, moving forward slowly and resting a hand against the wall to determine the best orientation. "Here goes," he smiled, gesturing at the wall and before them, a circular portal spiraled open for them, revealing more packed snow that drifted into the opening slowly. It made Leeteuk nervous to have such an opening in their shelter, but they had a point. At least it was slightly angled down to keep any from falling directly in.

Kyuhyun moved to investigate the opening while Leeteuk moved out of the way, going instead to squat near Kharin and Eleanara. Siwon and Eunhyuk came up and flanked Kyuhyun in nervous excitement. "Ready?" he asked them, looking from side to side.

"Whenever you are." "Yes," they both answered simultaneously. Behind Kyuhyun, the water and wind elementalists nodded, prepared to work in tandem.

"Here goes nothing," Kyuhyun murmured quietly, pointing his open palm at the wall of snow. In the blink of an eye, he summoned a self-sized fireball that hissed and fizzled where it pressed against snow briefly before he shoved it away, conscious of the heat and how it would affect them all. Immediately following his fireball, Eunhyuk created a vortex that spun around the walls of the newly created tunnel, helping to hold the melted snow back, while Siwon provided a small but steady stream of water that was carried with the wind to freeze the snow into place. Determinedly, they pressed forward, unsure where the end was but rushing to find it. At last, Kyuhyun felt a change in resistance and he let the spell die out, more relieved than he would care to admit when the pale light of mostly dark greeted them after the tunnel had been burned through. Eunhyuk and Siwon let the combined spell run its course, finally lowering their arms when both streams reached open air.

Curiously, Leeteuk and Summer came around to peer over their shoulders, looking through the tunnel in appreciative awe. Kharin leaned over as far as she could but all she could see was the opening, now frozen solid. "Well?" she prompted impatiently, holding Eleanara to her as she shifted over further to see what she could.

"I think it worked," Leeteuk answered slowly and pushed himself forward to the edge. It looked solid enough, though a bit smooth and slick. That may prove difficult to traverse if only for a lack of traction. At least the ceiling and walls looked whole. None of them showed the signs of pressure or any fine cracks. Tentatively, he took a step into the tunnel and laughed in relief when the ice held his weight without even the slightest hint of giving in. "I think you guys did it," he smiled, turning to look at them with respectful admiration. The effect was lost though, as the light spell finally wore off and cast them into mostly dark.  
>"Bugger it," Kharin muttered in annoyance, tightening her embrace around Eleanara, for her own comfort as much as anything else.<p>

Kyuhyun was very tempted to use a flare spell but thought better about it after the last time the shelter had slipped. They had an opening now and he would rather use that one instead of one further down. "I guess that means it's a good time to head out," he sighed, reaching for the first pack at hand. It was pointless to worry which one was his just now. "You guys coming?" he asked, setting a tentative foot on the ice next to where Leeteuk was standing.

"Go slowly," Leeteuk cautioned, catching his arm to stall him for just a moment.

"I will," Kyuhyun assured him dismissively, brushing the hand off.

In shared concern, the rest of the group watched the first part of his trek as he carefully made his way over the slick ice, ducking slightly to keep from bumping his head. The reinforcing ice had made the tunnel slightly smaller than originally intended but it still left them plenty of room to walk through, even if they did have to hunch over. "Alright. Looks well enough," Leeteuk nodded to himself, glancing around the darkened room, just able to make out their faces. "Grab your packs," he directed, snagging one near him and catching the corner of one of the blankets crumpled with the rest of their stuff in the corner created between two walls. "Come on, Summer," he called out, gesturing for the young woman to head through now.

With a helping hand to steady herself on the ice, she moved nervously. She was short enough to stand upright, but just barely, and it did little to help her move forward. They heard her murmuring quietly under her breath as she walked, aware that she was as nervous as they were about the amount of snow still piled above them.

"I'll take the last leg and the extra pack, but who's going to take Eleanara?" Leeteuk asked, reaching for the second blanket still sitting under the last pack.

"I'll take her," Siwon volunteered first, though it was apparent both Kharin and Eunhyuk had been about to offer their services as well.

"Okay. You may need to spread the weight out and since you'll be carrying your pack, you can drag her after you on the blanket. It should make it easier to pull her with the ice anyway," Leeteuk explained, wishing he had a better way but it was all they had; nor was he going to ask anyone to come back through the tunnel for anything that they may have left so he intended to bring the rest with him when he exited the shelter.

"Not a bad idea," Eunhyuk nodded, adjusting his pack nervously and starting through the tunnel next. Ahead, he could only see the slow moving figure of Summer so perhaps it was that Kyuhyun had already made it out the other side. Thank goodness he hadn't felt the need to call back to let them know. There was no telling what loud vocals would do to the stability of their path.

Reluctantly, Kharin handed off Eleanara to Leeteuk and she nodded slowly. "Be careful," she urged, resting her hands on his for a brief moment. Then it was past and she reached for another pack that lay nearby. As she passed Siwon, she looked up, "Take care with her, okay? She's kind of fragile," she laughed lightly, the humor only slightly masking the concern in her eyes.

"It'll be alright," he assured her confidently, though the sound was a bit forced, even to his ears. They watched her start her trek through the tunnel, noting that the light was gradually starting to get a bit brighter the longer they waited. Dawn was fast approaching for which they were grateful, but it cast the ice into a state of shimmering brilliance. It made one nervous that it was melting already, but that was unlikely given the amount of snow that would help to preserve the current temperature.

The two men waited for her to get some distance before they moved to head out. Siwon stepped in with his pack, the blanket trailing behind him. Before he got too far, Leeteuk stepped up to lay Eleanara down carefully. Gently, he traced a lock of golden hair from her face and smiled softly to himself. "She's good," he stated, looking up and giving Siwon a thumbs up. The taller man nodded and smiled, before hunching his shoulders to avoid the ceiling and started hauling Eleanara's sleeping body along after him. The blanket whispered quietly as it slid easily over the ice, the waterproof side making it sufficiently easier than expected.

Leeteuk watched the ice beneath them carefully, intent on being aware if there were any weak spots that he should be conscious of. Really, Siwon would be better at reading the stability of it, based on water content, but he wasn't about to point that out at this time. By the time Siwon had gotten about halfway through, there didn't seem to be anything wrong so Leeteuk settled himself to follow. He laid the blanket out, set the first pack in front of it and the second he hauled after him as he backed into the tunnel, taking care to keep himself from putting all his weight in any one spot. Quickly, he hauled the pack in front forward and then snagged the blanket to drag the second pack after him. "Here goes nothing," he sighed, moving slowly but steadily towards the end of the tunnel. Every now and then, he could see a curious face look through to see where they were and it helped to keep his nerves to a minimum. The ice creaked around him slightly, but that may well have been normal. Behind him, he cringed when the shelter finally shifted again, the entire structure dropping about a foot instantly so that the opening was displaced and he froze, listening intently. He could only hope it wouldn't prompt any motion from the rest of the snow above…at least not yet.

Well, whether it would or not, he couldn't very well stay there so, resolutely he continued to plow forward, steadily dragging the extra pack after him. Reluctantly, he came to the conclusion that running would have been nigh on impossible anyway, given his lack of traction on the ice. It was, however, unnerving when Siwon disappeared from the tunnel and left him alone in the reflective surface. Steadily, he maintained his pace and finally emerged from the end of the holed out tunnel, grateful beyond words that the others snagged his pack and the blanket from him allowing him a chance to look around.

The morning sun had finally risen over the edge of the mountain and bathed the area in blinding light, its rays reflecting off the snow glaringly. With eyes squinted, Leeteuk surveyed the downward slope of snow that terminated in the edge of a forest of conifers, the first layer of which was still half buried in snow. Beyond that was what appeared to be a village, small streams of smoke leaving easily identifiable spots in the residential area of occupied homes. Curiously, he glanced up at the mountain face and whistled softly. It appeared as if the entire face had come crashing down. No wonder it had been so hard to hold the shelter together.

"Looks like we did it," Kyuhyun mused, breaking him from his reverie with a congratulatory clap on his shoulder.

Leeteuk nodded, agreeing with a warm smile. "We did. Thanks to you guys." He bowed slightly to Kyuhyun, Eunhyuk and Siwon whose combined efforts had enabled them to escape. "And Eleanara," he murmured quietly, letting his gaze drift down to the sleeping woman at Siwon's feet. He had not left her side yet and still kept a vigil over her while the rest tried to figure out what to do.

Kharin was kneeling next to her now and she smiled up at him with reassurance. "She's just sleeping," she assured him, running a hand gently over her forehead in a motherly gesture.

The crunch of snow surprised them all as Summer walked over and smacked her hands down on Siwon and Kyuhyun's shoulders before glancing around the group. "So what's next, oh fearless leader?" she grinned, the heady experience of just being alive making her a bit more teasing than usual.

The others shook their heads with understanding grins on their faces, but all eyes turned to Leeteuk. He paused for thought and took a deep breath, swinging his gaze back down at the small village that lay so close and yet so far away. They had made it out of the avalanche but they still had a mountain of snow to clamber down and he doubted very much that it was going to be half as solid as he would hope. Though Eleanara had healed them, he knew he was tired and if they felt even close to what he did, they would need to rest first and then attempt the climb down. With all that in mind, he reached for the waterproofed blanket he had dragged out, hauling the pack off, and spread it out over the snow. He sat down with the pack in his hands and started to rummage for food. Easily, he found a ration and began eating it, meaningfully looking at the others.

It did not take them long to follow his lead, shedding packs and digging through the stores within. It didn't seem to matter at this point if the pack was theirs or not, since they should have the same amount of stores. Carefully, Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk joined him on the already spread blanket, mindful of the slightly shifting snow, and watched as Siwon and the girls helped to spread the blanket Eleanara was on, situating her so that she was propped against the former for comfort.

"I wonder if they're friendly," Eunhyuk mused around a bite of food, staring down at the small village beyond the trees.

"I guess we'll find out," Kharin assured him, though she knew an answer wasn't necessary.

"Are we sure we want to stop there?" Kyuhyun asked pointedly, regarding the buildings with an annoyed expression.

"If nothing else, they may have news we don't," Summer added, observing the town intently. "Plus, they should know more about what to expect for weather. We can't expect her to keep providing a barrier when normal means work just as well."

Slow nods went around the small group as gazes alighted on Eleanara. "She needs food and rest," Leeteuk stated quietly, his gaze thoughtful and concerned. He couldn't help but feel responsible for her continuous state of unconsciousness as he had pressed her to it initially. As suggested, she had done so…a couple times now though the last was due entirely to necessity. He remembered how it had felt to be fused with the wall when it shattered and he was only grateful that he was unconscious when she had healed him. Reflexively, the hand that had been shattered opened and closed once.

"All she's done is rest," Kyuhyun muttered, slightly indignant, but they could all tell he wasn't really upset about it like he was pretending now.

"Who knows? Maybe she'd like to actually fall asleep instead of pass out from exhaustion," Eunhyuk laughed lightly, nudging Kyuhyun in the ribs.

Kyuhyun frowned at him. "And you still have blood on your face." The unsubtle reminder visibly dampened the mood as Eunhyuk scrubbed at his face tentatively, uncomfortable with the statement.

"Here," Siwon stated simply, reaching awkwardly for his pack and retrieving the hanging pot, slightly dented from the fall, and a spare cloth from inside the bag. The pot he filled with water easily before passing both over to Eunhyuk. While the others continued to eat, he scrubbed at the dried blood, wincing at the cold water but eternally grateful it didn't hurt like it would have otherwise. He had no mirror so he ended up with some spots he missed, to Kyuhyun's amusement. Before Eunhyuk could get annoyed, Kharin had moved to in front of him and easily took the damp cloth from him.

"Let me," she said softly, going back over the spots he missed with a caring but focused expression. When she noticed him looking at her, she smiled and felt her cheeks grow warm. "Umm…almost done," she murmured, suddenly shy.

Eunhyuk smiled at her nervousness, a similar feeling plaguing him. "Thank you," he grinned, simply glad that he was able to keep from wincing. Silently, he sent another thank you to the sleeping Eleanara and tried very hard to keep himself from fidgeting.

The rest of the group soon grew tired of watching them and it didn't take long for them to finish eating either. Siwon finally shifted uneasily. "Can someone else get Nara? I need to see to the rest of our water."

Summer hopped up and reached for her mostly frozen waterskin. She measured a thoughtful look at Kyuhyun and prompted, "You too, Kyu. Come on," she gestured, acknowledging he might well be able to melt the ice without destroying the skin itself.

"I'll take her," Leeteuk volunteered, seeing how everyone was splitting up.

Awkwardly, Siwon stood up, carefully cradling Eleanara so as not to jostle her. His efforts were nearly wasted as his feet sank into the snow with the added weight he carried but it held after a few inches and he sighed. "Go figure," he chuckled, a wry smile on his face as seeing Leeteuk nearly ready to hop up to catch her if need be. "Here," he deposited her gently into his arms, smiling warmly. At a glance from him, Kyuhyun finally got up reluctantly.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do," he shrugged, unsure if he could use the heat without the fire.

Leeteuk took a moment to adjust her more comfortably, letting her head rest against his shoulder while her legs extended to one side off his lap. Even when she slept, he could see the tension in her; probably from using her ability so extensively. One small blessing out of all of this was that it was no longer snowing and the wind had finally abated. It didn't mean it wasn't still cold but at least they did not need her ability to keep moving forward. As if in answer to that very thought, she curled further against his body, bringing her hands up to rest against his chest and she sighed, some of the tension leaving her. As before, he froze, unsure how to react until finally, he simply tightened his arm around her and smiled to himself.

Behind Leeteuk, the trio was trying to figure out how to melt the ice down in the waterskins so they could be refilled and they could actually have drinking water. Summer was ready to neutralize whatever power Kyuhyun was calling and he seemed to be focusing intently. Siwon stood slightly off to the side, ready to douse him if need be, but preferably not. His biggest concern was refilling the skins so they were full and not partially empty as they were from the last time they had been drunk from.

"Just do whatever you always do when you call your power," Summer was coaxing him, unsure how it worked in principle. She only knew she could cancel it out…not how it came into being.

"It's not that simple," Kyuhyun sighed in annoyance. "I call fire. That's my element. Obviously," he stressed the word pointedly, "if I did that here, we'd have a bit of a problem." His retort earned him a glower from her but he focused on the waterskin in his hand. Technically, it should be simple, but perhaps that was why it was so hard…he was thinking too much. He honestly didn't know why he wouldn't be able to just call the heat he needed instead of the actual flame itself. With an intense expression on his face, he focused on the container in his hand, not calling fire, but rather willing it to warm up instead. Nothing happened at first so he closed his eyes and tried to imagine it differently. A gasp of surprise from Summer alerted him that something had changed. Slowly, he cracked one eye open and couldn't help but grin. "Hah!" The waterskin he held was steaming slightly in the cold air and when he shook it, he heard water slosh instead of the usual silence.

"Not that simple?" Summer laughed with a raised brow and arms crossed in front of her.

"Well it wasn't," he defended himself. "Much easier just to call a fireball," he went on, tossing her the melted waterskin.

She scrambled to catch it and then almost dropped it again from the heat. "Ayah… That's hot," she murmured, juggling it from hand to hand.

"Oops," Kyuhyun responded, caught off guard by her reaction. He hadn't realized his tolerance for heat was that high. It was easy to figure it came with being a fire elementalist, but it was a side effect he had not anticipated. "Just pour it out already," he waved, already focusing on a new waterskin. They had six more to go and he was not particularly patient.

"Careful,"Siwon cautioned, looking up at the mountain of snow still above them. He did not want to prompt another slide before they were off this part…especially not because of hot water. "Give it here," he gestured, waiting for Summer to toss it to him. She did so easily and he winced at the heat but it promptly died down after he uncorked it and filled it the rest of the way with water. "Now that is simple enough," he winked, setting it down on the waterproofed blanket.

In such a way, the group was able to drink their fill of water that was slightly warm, which was a welcome factor at this time. Khuyun's ability to melt the ice was grinned at by all and he briefly found himself the center of attention for his efforts. It was not what he had expected and for just a moment, it made him feel warm from more than the water he had drank.

Once they all had a chance to recharge from food and drink, more immediate thoughts began pressing their way in as opposed to finding a way down just yet. Not the least of which was the state of their clothes and the real concern that the smell of blood would attract unwanted attention. Hungry animals were a valid concern, as that was largely what they had escaped from, but it would certainly be hard to explain to any other person why they did not reflect the injuries their clothes indicated. Yoogin had warned not to let others know who they were, but it would certainly be odd for them to waltz down there with the amount of blood they had on them and no injuries. They had a change of clothes, but their winter wear was the only set they had and it was just as bad off as the layer beneath it with the notable exception of Eleanara.

While the problem was carefully looked at, the pot of water was emptied, scoured by Kyuhyun's fire and refilled again. Summer promptly took over and set to work on Kyuhyun's face and Siwon's head, both of whom still had caked blood on their persons as well. Kharin picked ineffectively at the hole in her clothes and tried futilely to wash out some of the top layer of blood with water from her waterskin. Eunhyuk watched her attentively, unsure what they might be able to do overall. After a moment, he went to search through his pack and found the extra pair of clothes they had packed by way of necessity. He inspected it carefully, trying to determine if it would be suitable simply to lie over the bottom layer. They couldn't hide the blood on their coats, but maybe, if they could stand the cold long enough to reach the village, they might be able to get by without the blood stained outer layers. It was also possible that some of them might well be able to keep the majority of the coat on as in his case, he was mostly blood free with the exception of his chest where the blood had drained down. That he could cut out while the rest was salvageable. Intensely, he pondered that while the rest were in their own worlds as well.

Leeteuk was comfortable where he was, but he was very aware of the fact Eleanara, of all of them, needed food and water the most. He was loathe to wake her, but they would need her on her feet when they tried to climb down the snow. Gently, he removed the glove from his left hand with his teeth and used his bare hand to caress her cheek softly. "Eleanara," he murmured quietly, turning her head slightly so he could see her face better. "Wake up, Nara," he urged again, running his fingers across her forehead to trace the hair out of her face. He smiled slightly when her forehead creased in reaction. "Come on, Eleanara." He gently shook her body with his supporting arm and watched as she took a deep breath and finally opened tired, but still dazzling hazel green eyes.

She groaned weakly and squinted up at him, wincing from the light of dawn and burying her face in his chest. Her hand tightened on his jacket and she took another breath, suddenly alarmed when she smelled the coppery tang of blood. Panic flooded her that he might still be hurt and she jerked back to see the blood stained spot on his jacket. "Are you injured?" she asked worriedly, her mind struggling to pull the pieces together.

"Easy," Leeteuk cautioned, tightening his arm around her so she couldn't lean back too far. "I'm fine. It's just drying blood," he assured her, understanding what she had focused on. "You already took care of us," he explained further, glancing at the others who had noticed her reaction and smiled at her when she was able to meet their gazes.

"Welcome back, Nara," Kharin smiled, leaving the torn coat alone for now. She was distracted by Eunhyuk's attempt to cut out the blood covered fabric, though. He had created a jagged v in the overcoat but it had rid him of most of the blood too so he looked fairly polished and refreshed; a state she envied briefly.

Eleanara glanced around, the blinding light reflecting off the snow hurting her eyes. "We're outside…" she stated slowly, her hand tightening on Leeteuk's coat reflexively. The sight of the mountain towering over them pulled at her memory and she stared at it stubbornly. With a gasp, she remembered they had been up there not all that long ago, and she stared at Leeteuk, recalling his limbs fused with the rock wall. "An avalanche?" she asked quietly, holding his gaze intently.

"Yes," he nodded evenly. "It was a near thing, but there is a village nearby," he explained softly, turning his head to look at the small ring of structures beyond the trees. "That is where we intend to go now. But first," he interrupted her, reaching for the waterskin. "You need to eat and drink. Here," he offered, handing her the waterskin quickly.

She caught hold of it awkwardly, her fingers responding sluggishly. It wasn't that she was cold, but rather that her body seemed confused by the request. Her brows creased in surprise and she bent her will to handling this small task first. The stopper wasn't difficult to remove, fortunately for her, but it was still hard to bring to her lips to drink. A sigh of pleasure escaped her as the replenishing liquid hit her tongue and flowed down her throat. She had not realized how thirsty she was until she had the chance to drink again. At least that reflex took over easy enough. Embarrassedly, she admitted, "I'm weaker than usual after using my ability." She slowly lifted the skin to her lips again and took another long draught before she sighed.

Leeteuk took the water from her easily and replaced it with a ration that Siwon had handed him. "It's to be expected," he shrugged. "You weren't exactly given the chance to recover from your last exertions," he explained with a half-smile.

Nervously, she chewed her lip despite his assurances. That just meant she would be that much more of a burden to look after on the way down. She forced herself to take a small bite of the ration and as soon as she was finished with that, her hunger flared to life. A grumble issued from her stomach and she took another bite, flushing slightly when Leeteuk laughed at her. She shrugged despite herself, fixing her gaze on the village off to the side. With one free hand, she made sure her amulet was hidden under her clothes. Despite how she felt now, after the next bite of food was down, she assured him quietly, "I will be ready when you are." When his arm tightened around her in understanding, she felt worried but comforted. They had made it this far together. They could get a little further still; one step at a time.


	6. Chapter 6

The group dallied as long as they dared in the increasing light of day. Carefully, they had doctored what they could of their outer coats and those whose coats were bloody beyond repair were forced to fall back on the extra layer of clothes they had brought along. Most notably, Siwon, Khyuhyun and Leeteuk fell in that category. Kharin had been able to cut out the hole in the side of her coat in a satisfactory manner so that her arm hid most of the damage so long as she kept it down. It had been figured that once they got down from the mountain, they would travel in pairs, with the exception of the trio of Kyuhyun, Siwon and Summer, and at that time, Eunhyuk would be able to help hide the damage further by dint of his physical presence.

Carefully, they buried the bloody remains of their clothes, leaving just enough poking out to provide a distracting smell. They could not hide the blood scent on their person, but perhaps they could distract any followers with the stronger scent from the coats. That had been Kharin's idea and she still felt nervous about it. They all vividly remembered the sound of the snow wolves coming after them, with the exception of Eleanara who had miraculously managed to sleep through it due in no small part to Siwon's attentiveness. They were still unsure as to how she had done it though…

At last, the packs were split up among the group, repacked with the waterproofed blankets and with waterskins reattached. Leeteuk helped Eleanara into her pack after securing his own, catching a glimpse of both Siwon and Eunhyuk politely helping Summer and Kharin while Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. It made him smile, grateful for the small pleasures that helped to push the immediate events to the back of his mind. With a final glance around, he could see the group was finally ready to head down. From their vantage point on the mountainside, it seemed so far away…but there was nothing to be done for it. As lost as they were, it was the only marker they had and was actually likely the village Yoogin had told them was at the bottom of the mountain pass.

Doggedly, they pressed forward, hand in hand. The first group broke the way through the snow and made travel for the others a bit easier, foretelling of soft spots and debris as found by both Summer and Kyuhyun who had resumed point. As expected by both in the lead, Eleanara struggled with the descent, her feet dragging in the snow and catching on debris regularly. Leeteuk's hand in hers was a source of strength that kept moving her forward though, and Siwon's quiet presence just behind her helped to remind her she was not alone. In the rear, a subdued Kharin and Eunhyuk remained close, the going easier in the back where they path was broken for them but they were edgy and alert, their eyes scanning over the group and then focusing outward.

Feeling Eleanara stumble again, Leeteuk set his gaze ahead and made a goal for them. "The trees, Nara. We can make the trees, right?"

Wearily, Eleanara looked up to see how far ahead the conifers were and her heart quailed. They were over halfway there but it still seemed like forever. She had to take a deep breath and when he finally glanced back at her, she nodded, "Yes."

Around them, the rest of the group slogged along stubbornly, tired from the events of last night and this morning. As a whole, they kept a continuous watch on the surrounding area, fully aware of at least one of the dangers that existed out here. Eunhyuk kept a constant stream of wind running behind them to wipe out their trail, lifting tufts of snow methodically to smooth out their back-trail. He didn't know if it would do any good, but it couldn't hurt. Every now and then, despite the trail being broken, one or more of them would sink into the snow, a soft spot giving way, and the group would have to pause to help the sunken member back up. They were fortunate that no one had yet injured themselves from any such incidents.

The sun was getting high the by the time that they had nearly made the trees and along with Eleanara, others were beginning to stumble often now, falling to one knee occasionally and standing with some effort. It was harder than they had initially thought to travel through open snow when traveling on the mountain trail had been their only comparison. Keeping an eye in the rear, the party was alerted by Kharin, who had seen something moving on the slope, white on white and moving fast. The group paused and looked back up the mountain, a mixture of uncertainty and fear in their bellies. "Oh no," the collective whisper escaped them. Somehow, a snow wolf had survived the avalanche that had knocked them all off the face of the mountain and had found them. Likely, it had smelled them on the wind and simply followed that, but it did nothing to reassure them. It had not howled a hunting cry but that was probably because it did not wish for a repeat of the earlier incident.

Leeteuk judged the distance between the wolf and the trees and shook his head. They were close but it was too fast and he wasn't sure the trees would offer a great deal of protection against it anyway. He had few illusions about that, considering how easily they had nearly gotten through the stone shelter he had made. "Get ready," he warned, pulling Eleanara closer. Hers was not the realm of fighting and they both acknowledged it as her free hand latched to his coat in fear.

Kyuhyun was the first to step up from behind Leeteuk and Eleanara, drawing abreast of them, but Summer stalled him. "Don't. If you miss, you might bring the rest of the mountain down on us," she reminded him nervously, her blue eyes flicking from the fire elementalist to the snow wolf uncertainly.

"Then I won't miss," he muttered, trying to move forward again, perturbed by the restraint.

"No," Kharin silenced him with a quick shake of her head, determination and anger in her eyes. "This one is mine." She did not have the gentle skills of Eleanara or even the helpful ones that the rest could turn to their benefit. Her strength was attacking and causing harm. The power of shadow was not an easy power to wield for its calling was predominantly pain and death, or so her teachings had led her to believe. Until this moment, she had felt nearly useless, unable to assist in even the most basic actions. She felt Eunhyuk place a hand on her shoulder, questioning and concerned. "It's alright," she assured him, sparing him a smile before she focused on the wolf coming their way.

It was huge. Standing nearly as tall as they were at the shoulders, it bounded through the snow easily, heading in a straight line. Kharin smirked. It had no idea what they were capable of. With a feral grin, she reached a hand forward, aiming at the oncoming wolf. "Shadow blade," she whispered, watching a crescent bolt of darkness fly from her hand and up the slope towards the predator. It saw it too and dodged aside at the last second, earning a glancing blow where red blossomed on its side, splashing the white snow liberally, and they heard it yelp, loud and clear. "Dammit!" she snarled, angry that she had missed. She tried again with a similar effect, though this time it moved sooner and she missed entirely.

"Easy, Kharin," Eunhyuk calmed, ready just behind her, a steadying presence that was hard to ignore. His hands itched to help her fight the creature but he recognized her need in this as well. "You've got this," he smiled instead, fear sitting like a cold rock in his belly despite his outward confidence.

"Watch out!" Summer cried, pointing to either side of the group where two more snow wolves had appeared while they were distracted with the first one. Fear gripped the group as the odds evened out against them. So this was to be their first taste of combat…and none of them were prepared for the reality.

Kyuhyun ignored the other two and focused on the one coming up from the left side of the group. "I'll take this one," he assured them, hoping they were far enough from the avalanche so that he wouldn't have to worry about causing another one. Not that it would matter in the long run…

With a final worried look at Kharin, Eunhyuk moved over to join Siwon, who had stepped away from the center of the group to face the wolf on the right, an uncertain expression on his face. When Eunhyuk joined him, his expression steadied and he nodded with the other man, silently agreeing they would be more effective together in dealing with the third wolf.

From the rear, Summer, Eleanara and Leeteuk watched, unsure what they should be doing. Their abilities were not aligned heavily with combat; designed mostly for healing, defense and neutralization and right now, the latter ability was the least one needed. Leeteuk looked at the three wolves and wondered quietly, "What happened to the fourth one?"

The question was spoken so softly, she wasn't sure she had heard correctly over the sound of her beating heart, but a curious glance up showed that Leeteuk was indeed focused on the three as if he was trying to puzzle that out. They had been attacked by four snow wolves the other night? And she had slept through it? Stunned, Eleanara took a brief second to look around and then let her gaze travel behind them. Her action was purely reactive as she gasped, "Shield!" throwing her arm behind them to create some sort of barrier between them and the snow wolf leaping towards them, jaws open wide in a massive mouth that could easily crush their skulls.

An angry growl escaped the attacking wolf who had slipped through the trees to come up from behind as it hit the shield, bowling the pair over and halfway burying them in the snow a couple feet apart, utterly unable to reach them for all its efforts. Against the angry attack, it took all of Eleanara's will to hold the shield, pinned on her back, the pack pressing against her spine painfully. If she had not been weakened already, she might well have been able to do something else, anything else, but it was hard enough to secure it, and the image of the wolf snapping at her hands 'holding' the shield in place terrified her. She felt herself whimper, a purely subconscious reaction and the sound seemed to drive the wolf to greater frenzy.

Summer shrieked at the unexpected attack, frozen in place by her inability to counter any of the creatures attacking them. The other three were still closing in and everyone with an elemental ability was currently occupied. She couldn't even find anything at hand to throw at it but she did see Leeteuk recovering from the initial attack. Breathlessly, she watched him, completely unaware of her danger if it but shifted its attention to her…

Having been knocked prone in the charge, Leeteuk had to struggle out from under his pack so that he could turn to face the monstrosity attacking them instead of looking at it over his shoulder. It all seemed rather surreal when he thought about it as it was standing on an invisible platform unable to reach them no matter how savagely it tore at the space between them. The sound of blood rushing through his ears and his own ragged and panicked breathing helped tie him to the experience and he felt Eleanara's presence nearby. She was crying…

Angrily, he reached for the ground and savagely pulled a single piece up from the covered earth, shooting it through the shield and impaling the snow wolf's belly. The stone spear and the resulting rain of blood cast them in shadow and spattered them liberally with blood. He watched the shock register on her face before she threw her arms up over her head, unable to slip out of the pack. Quickly, he filed that she was frightened but unharmed and then he focused on the others still facing down their foes. It was terrifying to realize the exchange had lasted only a few seconds…

Fiercely, Kharin finally managed to deal with the head wolf using a rain of needles as she reached above it with her power and pulled; a devastating attack that literally rained a wall of shadow needles through the oncoming creature. The snow beneath the wolf quickly turned crimson with blood from hundreds of different wounds inflicted simultaneously and it crumpled immediately, dead before it hit the ground. She felt a momentary thrill of elation followed quickly by the rush of fear and uncertainty as she realized combat was still going on around her.

To her right, Eunhyuk and Siwon assaulted the offending wolf with a terrible ice storm that tore it to shreds, patches of bloody fur and muscle wearing away swiftly as it keened one long note that ended abruptly as the throat was obliterated. In a large swath around the shredded carcass, blood and pieces of it littered the area, liberally blotting the white landscape with red, their victory as messy and visceral as her own.

Awareness of one final wolf came upon them swiftly as their rush of success was dampened by its growl as it attacked. Kyuhyun had made no effort to deter it thus far and stared at it with single minded determination, fully intent on not missing. His heart hammered painfully in his chest and he thought he might die of fright when it finally leaped at him, its course set and unalterable, a mouthful of hand-length teeth open and hungry. In an instant, he summoned a massive flare spell that engulfed the wolf in flames immediately as the momentum carried it directly into it. In the space of a heartbeat, it was incinerated, burning through the layers so fiercely that nothing was left but ash which floated away when the intense fire and heat died down. Startled by the speed of his victory and inordinately relieved, he stumbled back a few steps and then leaned forward to place his hands on his knees.

"Is everyone alright?" Summer finally asked, her voice wavering as she looked from person to person, feeling partially rooted in place. They all looked shaken but alive to her great relief.

The immediate victory was soiled by the sound of Kharin being sick. She fell to her knees, heaving up the contents of her stomach as she stared at the tattered, bloody remains of the wolf before her, still bleeding out into the snow. Eunhyuk hurried over to her side, one hand over his mouth and tears glistening in his dazed eyes, glad to turn away from the dead. He helped to hold her hair back and comforted her with his presence, intensely grateful that none had been hurt and struggling with his own destructive ability. He felt nausea assail him but was fortunately able to resist by focusing on Kharin's need more than his own.

After a moment of leaning over, Kyuhyun sat down and put his head between his knees. He had thought it would be so easy, but the waiting had been terrifying. Killing the wolf had not been that hard, but seeing it incinerate before him, the fur, skin, muscle and bone burning away in a matter of seconds, had thoroughly unnerved him. Smelling the creature as it burned had been worse… After another breath, he rolled over to his side and emptied the contents of his stomach too.

Summer moved up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder in concern. He waved it off at first and then smiled bitterly, shaking his head. "You did what you had to do," she assured him firmly, not allowing any of her own nerves to come into her voice. When they had all practiced, none of them had imagined what sort of harm they could inflict.

Siwon continued to stare at the remains of the wolf they had destroyed, unsure how he should feel. Water was not known for being so violent and it was deeply unsettling that they had been able to tear it to pieces… Uncertainly, he took a step back and shook his head slightly before turning to find the others. Eunhyuk was with Kharin and Leeteuk was tending to Eleanara but Kyuhyun was still on the ground with Summer beside him. He made his way over to them, feet crunching loudly in the snow.

Leeteuk got up shakily, resisting the urge to place his hand on the blood covered pillar between them as he walked around it knelt down beside her. She was still covering her head and face with her arms, shaking. "It's alright now," he assured her softly, aware of the blood that covered both them and the snow. "We're safe." He reached out to place his hand on her arms gently and she flinched. He paused and added, "They're gone."

Eleanara relaxed her arms enough to look at him with one of her eyes, peering past the blood spattered sleeve. The sight made her flinch as did the impaled wolf still hanging limply above them but everything was quiet again. She drew her arms down the rest of the way to see that everyone was alive and pulling themselves together while two other red areas dotted the nearby snow. Her gaze finally met Leeteuk's, still kneeling next to her, and he was concerned and just as covered in blood as she was. She felt a sudden need to be disentangled, free from the pack that she had been trapped against and as soon as the straps were loosed, she flung herself into the circle of his arms, a strangled sob escaping her as she did so.

Surprised, Leeteuk was almost knocked over but he managed to steady himself and closed his arms around her shaking body instead. "It's okay," he murmured softly, stroking her hair and back comfortingly. "It's alright now." Slowly, he looked around at the group recovering in their own ways. Siwon and Summer were helping Kyuhyun to stand, the former pulling them both into his embrace as they stood there for a moment, simply glad to be alive. Kharin and Eunhyuk were making their shaky way closer, her arm over his shoulder for support. The immediate impetus of surviving had worn off and now they were simply tired. Random packs lay strewn about where they had been tossed in an effort to rid themselves of extra weight prior to combat.

Leeteuk took a deep breath and met each of their gazes evenly and nodded, "For our first combat, I think we did rather well." He put on a brave face, though he too was quaking inside with the violence of his own reaction. There had been no time to think, only to react.

"Some heroes we are…getting sick and crying," Kyuhyun muttered as the trio joined the group. He nodded at Eleanara, but it was easy to see he was just as angry at himself and his own reaction.

Quietly, Eunhyuk wiped the last of his tears away, and he managed a brave smile, "At least we're not hurt. And we know we can do it if we have to," he nodded once, remembering his fight with the wolf, side by side with Siwon. Unconsciously, he tightened his arm around Kharin's waist, pulling her closer in an effort to ward off the image of the aftermath.

"Indeed," Kharin breathed, not at all sure if she was glad she could use such destructive powers herself, and relishing in the feel of Eunhyuk's contact with her. It confirmed their humanity… Slowly, she allowed her head to rest against Eunhyuk's, weary and confused. She didn't know if it was better to feel useless or entirely too useful in this instance. "How is she?" she asked instead, focusing on Eleanara whose crying had died down.

"Tired and shocked," Leeteuk answered immediately. He sort of understood how horrifying that might well have been for her, to see something die like that and then to have been covered in blood. None of them were exactly blood thirsty but she was a healer; not one who inflicted harm. Self-consciously he wiped at the blood drying on his face.

Siwon noticed the action and quietly moved to get the pot which he filled with water and then fished another cloth out of his pack. He ripped the cloth in half and gave the other piece to Kharin with a nod towards Eleanara. She nodded slightly, her head still resting against Eunhyuk's, and took the cloth with her free hand.

Eleanara stirred then and slowly pulled away from Leeteuk, still clinging to his coat for support. As her eyes flickered to the blood on her person again, she flinched but she plastered a smile to her face anyway. "I'm okay," she assured them all quietly. Her voice did not carry very far, but it did not need to for them to understand what she had said.

Kharin took that moment to untangle herself from Eunhyuk and she knelt down in front of Eleanara, her voice soft and soothing. "Come here sweetie." She reached out to dip the cloth in the water and carefully drew the other woman to look at her as she started to dab at her face. Eleanara flinched once and then relaxed as the gentle ministrations helped to calm her down further.

"Your turn, Teuk," Siwon stated, kneeling in front of him and copying Kharin. Leeteuk seemed about to argue but then shrugged, seeing that he couldn't tell where all the blood was anyway. While those two were being taken care of, the rest of the group searched the immediate vicinity, retrieving their discarded packs and making sure nothing had fallen out in the meantime. Kyuhyun defrosted their waterskins as needed while Eunhyuk took time to cover the remains of the wolves with snow, helping to hide the horrific sight.

When the two were finished, Leeteuk looked at the blood on their coats and sighed. There was nothing to be done for that now, though he worried how they might be able to explain it, especially as they weren't carrying any weapons. They didn't need them… He took a deep breath and accepted Siwon's aide in standing up. As he looked around the group, six pairs of eyes looked back at him and he felt the heavy weight of responsibility settle around him again. "Alright," Leeteuk started resignedly. "We should get moving again." They hadn't reached the forest yet so he could still see the village over the tops of the trees and he made a mental note of which direction it was in.

Reluctantly, the group shifted around him, moving to retrieve their packs and getting ready to head out. He noticed Eleanara ineffectively brushing at that blood on her sleeves and touched her shoulder tentatively. When she looked up at him, he reached for her hand and helped pull her to her feet, concerned by how dazed she still seemed. "You sure you're okay?" he asked her quietly, so the others wouldn't hear.

It took her a second for the question to sink in and then she shook herself slightly. "I'm alright. Just tired," she gave him a wan smile. Closing her eyes when Kharin had washed her face had been nice, but it had not helped her to feel any less drained. Nor did she care to admit how close the shield had been to failing before he had killed the wolf. Eleanara had not been prepared for a sustained attack against it and the relief when the wolf had been killed had been as great as the horror. As he picked his pack up, she stared at hers in a mixture of resentment and self-pity. She normally struggled with the damn thing and right now, she wasn't even fit to lift half her weight. There was no way she was going to get it on…and to be honest, she didn't want to.

Leeteuk read the expression on her face and he sighed. "Here you go." Easily, he hefted the pack up and held it out so she could slip into it. She did so reluctantly, bowing under the weight as it settled on her shoulders and then around her waist when she secured the lower straps. She thanked the stars that her knees didn't buckle but it was going to be a struggle to walk.

Determinedly, she hefted the pack to a more comfortable spot and reached for Leeteuk's proffered hand. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Let's go," he called out mildly, his voice carrying easily over the snow. He waited for the others to drift around the pillar before he returned the stone spear to the ground, leaving the stiffening body where it lay. In silent thought, they all regarded the mostly whole creature with strained expressions, acknowledging just how worthy their foes had been in that moment. Quietly, the ragged group fell into line behind him, relying on him to lead the way and break the snow. The yoke of leadership was very heavy today…

The trees that had been so close not that long ago rose up before them, the tops of trees first and then as the woods closed in around them, the middle and the bottom where they became aware of their feet hitting the ground, crunching through a couple inches of snow instead of feet. It was noticeably colder in the shade but none of them were inclined to stop for a fire or anything of that nature. Even Kyuhyun was reluctant to call any sort of flame and Eleanara flat out refused to contemplate the comforting presence of a light spell. The group continued to walk, not quite sure of where they were going but letting the slope guide them down. It had looked like a straight shot through the woods when they were standing at the top of the forest looking down on the village. Inside the dark of the woods, it wasn't so simple.

At last, they finally had to admit they were lost when the forest continued to stretch on, endless and taunting. It wasn't that it was scary exactly, but the unfamiliar woods made them uncomfortable with no end in sight. Small creatures moved on the edges of their vision, making them more nervous, especially after their excitement earlier this morning. There did not appear to be any open places to rest either; just more trees. Finally, Leeteuk paused, feeling Eleanara lean against his arm heavily. When they were given a chance to stop, he could feel her trembling. He cast a concerned glance back at the others and noted different levels of tiredness. Summer seemed least affected overall, but that was fairly understandable.

"Let's take a break," he suggested, seeing the relief in their eyes. None had the breath to complain right now; not even the sometimes laconic Kyuhyun.

Quietly, the group settled against the ground and propped themselves against trees for the most part. Without his support, Eleanara crumpled to the ground where she stood, right next to Leeteuk. She forced herself to drink some of her waterskin, wriggling out from her pack enough to free her arms. Propped against it, she was no match for her own exhaustion and the closed container fell softly from exhausted fingers as she rested her eyes for just a moment…

As they did not intend to stay for long, the waterproofed blankets were kept in the packs but food and water were had by all slowly. Hunger took a little while to return but when it did, they felt it keenly. "Is hunger always a side-effect of using our power?" Eunhyuk asked, curious as he was constantly hungry in general. His ration had disappeared very quickly and after a moment's debate, he fished another one out and started on it too.

"I'd imagine," Kharin agreed with a shrug, only a few bites of her ration left. "Even Eleanara eats after using her ability," she chuckled, looking to laugh with the other woman but she stopped short when she noticed the awkwardly reclined position and the closed eyes.

"Dummy," Kyuhyun sighed, shaking his head that she had fallen asleep so quickly. He was about to toss a clump of snow at her but Leeteuk forestalled him.

"Let her rest. She can eat on the move," he stated quietly. "You can't tell me you're not tired from your exertions," he added calmly, eyeing the rest of them. He felt it too and none of them had been pressed to use their powers quite so much as she had just these past two days.

"Well I am," Kharin ventured when no one gave an answer. Her voice turned soft and thoughtful. "I thought I would be ready for combat. After all," she began, a wry twist to her mouth, "it's mostly what my power is good for. But I was wrong. I'm afraid to think what it will be like when it's a person on the other side of me…not just a hungry wolf." Her heartfelt words brought pensive expressions to their faces. It was a reality none of them had contemplated yet and it made them distinctly uncomfortable. How did one break down people into good and evil? Was it really that simple?

Leeteuk looked around at the drawn expressions before he forced himself to smile. "Who feels like climbing a tree?" he asked into the quiet air. Incredulous stares met his gaze and he shrugged. "How else do you propose we get a bearing on where we are headed?" he offered, easily expecting just such a reaction from them, and while their laughter may have been more forced than he would have preferred, it was what he had hoped for.

Eunhyuk examined the trees and frowned. "Not really much to climb." Tentatively, he stood up and looked at the one he was leaning against. The branches all slanted down, thick and full of needle leaves instead of the hefty branches he was used to with the deciduous trees that tended to grow around the monastery.

"Why don't you just raise yourself up?" Siwon suggested, leveling a gaze at Leeteuk. "You did as much with the stone spear, you know?"

Chagrined, Leeteuk nodded in acceptance. "So I did," he murmured standing up and brushing the snow from his pants with some reluctance. "Stand back," he warned with a boyish grin on his face, flourishing his hands unnecessarily. Just to make sure he wouldn't fall, he raised two handholds next to him. When he had gripped those he smiled again. With a final wink, he hauled the hearth up under him, plunging him towards the sky and the top of the tree line.

The sound was what woke her…the whisper of rock as it traveled upward like it had earlier this morning. The memory was still fresh in her mind when Eleanara opened groggy eyes and saw the stone pillar rising before her, a figure at the top, shadows playing on the surface…and the attack came back to haunt her. 'Where's the wolf?' was her immediate thought as she threw her hands up to raise a shield before her. That was when she saw the blood on her sleeves and she seized up, vividly recalling the few seconds before blood had rained down on her.

"Eleanara!" Summer cried as she felt the shield thrown up, drawing attention to the woman they all thought had been sleeping. Immediately, she banished the shield, watching in confusion when Eleanara went limp, melding to the awkward form of the pack.

Siwon was the first to reach her and he scooped her into his arms, holding her close, while Kharin and Eunhyuk knelt next to them. Kharin grabbed up one of Eleanara's unresisting hands, holding it tight as she reached in to place her free hand on the other woman's cheek. "What happened to her?" she asked in confusion, glancing around the loose circle for an answer.

"I'm not sure," Summer responded, trying to piece the puzzle together.

Kyuhyun glanced behind them and easily put two and two together. He had not been part of the attack on her and Leeteuk but it wasn't hard to see how she could draw similarities between the attack and waking to find the spire next to her again. "I'd say she got caught in the memory of the attack," he murmured, frowning at the thought. Was it just Eleanara that was susceptible to the blurring of reality or would they all have to worry about that possibility. He laughed despite himself, earning a frown from Summer, but he figured there was little chance anything would trigger that sort of memory for him. He didn't cast flare spells in his sleep and no one else could summon fire.

"Everything alright?" Leeteuk asked from above, concerned and confused.

Eleanara's eyes opened slowly then, one eye first and then the other, before she focused on Kharin in front of her. The taller woman sighed in relief and nodded. "There you are."

Kyuhyun answered for those below. "We're alright," as Eunhyuk gave a thumbs up sign to Leeteuk above them.

Tears filled her eyes as she recognized Siwon holding her protectively and Kharin, still clasping her hand. Ultimately, she could acknowledge what had happened but it had felt so real… "We're safe?" she asked plaintively, the last of the shock finally wearing off.

"Very safe, Nara," Siwon assured her softly, tightening his hold around her and pressing his cheek against the top of her head. She had done them all a great service in healing them, but her mental instability gave him great cause for worry. He glanced at Kharin who wore a similar expression.

Summer leaned closer and took Kharin's spot, allowing the other woman to stand up and step back. She reached out and smoothed the other woman's hair down gently. "It's alright, Eleanara," she assured her.

Kharin settled herself next to Eunhyuk and leaned in to whisper, "I'm worried about her." She chewed her lip in thought as he nodded slowly in agreement, reaching to grab her hand in comfort. They watched Siwon hold Eleanara close, offering what comfort he could. She looked so tiny in comparison to him and she was so very fragile right now. In truth, it scared her.

Leeteuk sighed and frowned, watching intently from above, his own worry gnawing at him. Limits or no, they all needed to be strong enough at the end of their journey. If they fell apart here, what would that mean later? Quickly, he shook himself and looked around, following the rising smoke to give himself guidance. "There," he sighed again, hoping he wouldn't need to do this again. "That way," he called down, pointing it out for them and giving them something else to focus on. He watched as Kyuhyun drew a line to indicate the direction he gave them. "Heads up. I'm coming down," he warned, keeping a careful eye on Siwon and Eleanara.

Slowly, he lowered the platform, taking his time. When he was flush with the ground again, he stepped down and placed a grateful hand on Siwon's shoulder before turning to the rest. "It looks like we might be able to make it before dark if we don't get lost again."

"Let's get started," Kharin suggested, picking up her pack first with Eunhyuk right behind her. Leeteuk nodded and picked up Eleanara's pack and his own, waiting for Kharin to come and assist him. He gave Siwon a meaningful look and the other man nodded once, a slight smile on his face. Summer gave Kyuhyun Siwon's pack and grinned, shouldering her own easily. Disgruntled, Kyuhyun debated throwing it down but finally just sighed and glowered instead, reluctantly accepting the burden.

Siwon stood up with Eleanara in his arms, despite her protests to the contrary. "I can walk. Really," she assured him, mortified that they thought she needed such babying. Though she fought against it, she wasn't entirely positive herself that she would be able to keep up. Just struggling against Siwon's hold briefly was more than she had anticipated. Had she really gotten so weak?

"Just sleep, Nara," Siwon grinned mischievously, winking at her.

"Don't you dare," she started to say before she felt his power slide over her like a warm blanket. Against it, she was powerless and consciousness deserted her.

"Finally found a use for the sleep ability did you?" Summer laughed, nudging him lightly as she came up and peered at Eleanara's sleeping face. "Good job," she stated simply at his shrug.

Kharin forged her way up to Leeteuk, grabbing the other pack to share the weight between them. A glance back showed Eunhyuk doing the same with Kyuhyun, to the other man's relief. Quietly, she asked, "Do you think she'll be okay?" They all knew Eleanara about the same amount of time, but herself and Leeteuk had always watched over her a bit closer. She was the softest of the group, if anyone was. It was a double-edged sword they tried to protect her from.

"I think she's just exhausted," he stated simply, letting his head hang. "If I'd have known any of this was going to happen, I never would have prompted her to try and find her limit so soon." Agitatedly, he rolled his head, feeling several pops in his neck.

"Hindsight is perfect," Kharin muttered, looking over at him. "But we can't know what will happen in the future. Do you think she'll hold up?"

He did not hesitate in his answer. "Yes." Leeteuk met Kharin's gaze, intense and honest. Even if he didn't think she would, he would have told her otherwise just then, because he had to believe they would, one way or the other…but he honestly thought she had more to her than they were seeing just yet. "I think she'll be fine. Once we get some rest and better food." Guiltily, he recalled the times he had not called her out on not finishing her food.

"And when will that be?" she asked softly, the uncertainty of everything they were facing heavy in her voice.

"With any luck, tonight," he grinned reassuringly, forcing a happy expression. Still, he couldn't help but look over his shoulder at the pair in the middle and the unease in his stomach wouldn't go away.

Kharin refrained from saying anything else. She simply adjusted her grip on the pack and moved forward, conscious of the others following behind. Summer stayed close to Siwon, ready to steady him if the snow tripped him up, while Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk brought up the rear, taunting each other with brief displays of their power. A tiny flare spell flickered in Eunhyuk's face and he swiped it away with a strand of wind, delivering it back to Kyuhyun. Occasionally, he would retaliate with another strand of wind to mess with the other man's hair at which point he'd find another flare spell floating in front of him. At the very least, it helped to pass the time.

Despite his best attempts, Leeteuk had to call a stop to reestablish the correct direction one additional time. It gave the others a chance to take a break while he raised himself up to look around. Siwon set Eleanara down, shaking his arms out enthusiastically. "I'll trade you," Eunhyuk sidled up with a quick grin, offering his pack to trade off with.

Siwon laughed, glancing at Kyuhyun and shook his head. "Sure. It'll be a welcome change," he grinned, accepting the pack and moving closer to a disgruntled Kyuhyun. Unperturbed, he pushed a mostly full waterskin into his hands and suggested, "Drink. You need it more than you realize."

Annoyed, Kyuhyun did at least follow his advice, watching as the others did too. He agreed that he didn't feel particularly thirsty but there was water everywhere in the air, making it harder to tell. The respite was not very long but it did allow them to catch their breath and get their fill of water. They waited until Leeteuk had a chance to take a breather and to give them the correct direction before they headed out. They had veered slightly off course again as he had suspected, but were still making good time and should be able to reach the outskirts of the village before dark. It was a thought that comforted all of them and when they resumed their trek, they had more life in their steps. Siwon picked up the rear guard with Kyuhyun and Summer stayed near Eunhyuk in the middle when they resumed their trek.

At last, the trees thinned and the group made their way out from the forest and stared at the village in rapt attention. It looked bigger now that they were so close and infinitely more alive as some villagers stopped to stare at them, drawing further attention. Quickly, they all made sure their amulets were hidden beneath their clothes and steadied themselves with a deep breath, plumes of frosty breath billowing out in front of them.

"Remember," Leeteuk started with a glance back, "We have come from the monastery and are heading for the capitol city Lornhaldt." All of it was true too so they wouldn't have to worry about fabricating a lie they couldn't maintain. Yoogin had confirmed that most of their lack of knowledge would be accepted as living in the Northsage monastery, where news was scarce. They were all counting on that, in fact.

The group moved forward slowly, watching a handful of armed villagers break off in their direction. Leeteuk signaled for them to stop and set the pack he and Kharin had been carrying on the ground. A certain nervous tension was almost palpable among them as they eyed the assortment of spears among the oncoming party. All of them had been trained in combat and they would be able to defend themselves, unarmed if need be, but they had no desire to fight. They were hungry and tired and could, quite frankly, use just a bit of a break.

Leeteuk stepped forward as the group before them slowed, spears ready but non-threatening. "Hello," he greeted nervously, bowing politely as he waited for an answer. At a glance, they looked like they themselves did, with slightly tanned faces, mostly dark eyes and indiscernible hair color under the furry hoods covering their heads. Their expressions weren't hostile but neither were they welcoming.

One of the bigger men in the group stepped forward and jabbed the butt of his spear into the snow covered ground, eyeing him intently. He was tall, easily six foot and three inches with the build of a bear, thick with muscle, not fat. Intense dark gray eyes were partially hooded by lids that sat under dark brown, bushy eyebrows and his chiseled facial features just screamed no-nonsense. "Who are you?" he asked evenly, the perfect example of neutrality without a trace of suspicion or warmth.

To Leeteuk, whose own control was hardly even close to that, it was very unnerving. "My name is Leeteuk and we're from the Northsage monastery," he went on evenly, gesturing to the party behind him but maintaining eye contact.

The other man's eyes narrowed as he thought that over. "And why didn't you come down the mountain pass?" he asked suspiciously, gesturing to the other side of the village where a downward slope from the mountain indicated a pass they had missed entirely.

Leeteuk followed the hand and then sighed. "An avalanche took out the path." Now it was his turn to gesture beyond the forest they had come through. It was easy to see the displaced snow on the mountain side, covering far more than it should have since there had been a path there less than two days ago. The other man seemed to nod to himself, as if the explanation confirmed something he had already been pondering. Fortunately, from this distance, none of the blood was seen to indicate they had faced combat or that anything had been left behind. "We had to make our own way down another path," he improvised. "One of our members succumbed to the weather and exhaustion," he admitted, letting the worry creep into his voice as he sidestepped to show Eunhyuk holding Eleanara. He was playing shamelessly on the helpless card and he hoped she couldn't hear him.

For a long moment, the other man regarded them intently, weighing his words. It seemed as if the last bit finally swayed him though as his gaze settled on Eleanara. "Forgive me, strangers. We have seen small patrols on our borders. Soldiers and agents who do not belong here. I could not be sure that you were not of their ilk," he admitted sourly. Abruptly, he extended a large gloved hand. "I am Marcus Frostbiter," he grinned, a strong set of well taken care of teeth appearing as his lips pulled back in the friendly expression. He shook Leeteuk's hand firmly, offsetting the smaller man slightly. "We've not got much but we should be able to help you get back on your feet. Come," he gestured before he headed back through the middle of the group he had lead as they waited to fall in around and behind the new group.

Leeteuk stepped back to assist Kharin in moving the pack again and the rest of the group hesitantly filed in behind the pair, crowding closer for comfort. The faces around them felt more open and concerned now that a decision had been reached. As they approached the village, more persons waved at them tentatively. It seemed apparent they were used to visitors of a sort; not unsurprising since they were at the foot of the mountain trail. Marcus led them to what appeared to be a one story inn with a small dining area that was warm and welcoming.

As the door closed behind the last pair, the group looked around and realized that most of the present company had split off before reaching the inn, the name of which they had missed on the way in. Marcus clapped Leeteuk on the shoulder, startling the younger man so that he smiled nervously and paid abrupt attention. "Welcome to the Frozen Haven," he chuckled, propelling him forward to meet another bear of a man who was coming out from the back.

"Hallo, Chief. What brings you to my hall?" the other man greeted warmly, taking note that the title he used caused a stir in the newcomers as they whispered quietly among themselves.

"Gairen, how many times do I hafta tell you not to call me Chief?" he sighed, laughter in his voice. "I've got a couple of travelers from the monastery," he explained with a glance over the group. "This here's Leeteuk and the rest are his companions. The little one seems to have worn herself out and they need a place to rest up for a day or so."

Gairen stepped up and looked down at Leeteuk, the six foot two inch frame dwarfing the younger man. Graying dark brown hair was pulled back in a short ponytail while mischievous hazel eyes danced amidst wrinkles on his face. The chiseled cheeks and jaw bone made him appear severe at first glance but his mouth, partially hidden by an equally graying beard and mustache, pulled up at the corners constantly. "Pleasure to meet you, Leeteuk." His handshake was just as firm as Marcus'. "How about we have a look and see what I can do for you."

"You're in good hands," Marcus assured the group as he started to walk out.

"And where are you going, Chief?" Gairen asked with a raised brow, amusement in his voice.

"I've got to get a group together to see about that avalanche," he laughed, waving as he stepped out into the cold winter air, a blast making the group near the door shiver.

"Avalanche?" Gairen asked, confused. He didn't let it bother him long though before he shrugged and guffawed once.

Uncertainly, the group looked at Gairen while Eunhyuk shifted Eleanara slightly, his arms getting tired after the trek. She stirred briefly, making a half-hearted attempt to wake that was quickly quieted by Siwon who stepped close to soothe her, his back to Gairen to hide the spell he cast again.

"So how many rooms might you be needing?" he asked softly, keeping his voice down so as not to disturb the lass.

"How much per room?" Leeteuk asked automatically, carefully fishing out the small money pouch he kept stashed on his person.

"The monastery picks up most of the cost of the rooms but I'd have to ask you to pay for food and the bath." His grin widened as their expressions lit up with hope. Quickly, the pair settled into a lively exchange of suggested costs, going back and forth good naturedly until Gairen finally agreed with the final amount and laughed when Leeteuk pressed for warm stones for their beds. It was decided they could split three rooms and just add a cot to one of them or someone could share a bed. Leeteuk nodded in agreement of the situation as he watched the innkeeper head behind his bar and retrieve three keys.

"This way," he gestured, heading for the back hall near the rear of the dining area. "We're in our lean season now, else you might see other guests," he explained, tossing the keys gently so they jingled as he walked. "That and this damn war has everyone scared." They could tell the thought upset him.

"Do you have any news?" Kharin asked from slightly behind Leeteuk.

Gairen paused in mid-stride and turned to look at her. "My pardon, lass. I didn't even get your names. What might I call ye by?"

Caught off guard by the abrupt change of subject, she blurted out her name, "Kharin."

"Pleasure to meet you," he saluted her briefly and then let his eyes circle around the group, drawing names from otherwise quiet members. Leeteuk gave Eleanara's name when he got to her. Gairen reached out and smoothed the hair back from her forehead with a kindly smile. "Poor little thing. She must be plum wore out. Though why you'd bring one so young with you is beyond me," he shrugged, oblivious to their attempts to hide their amusement and astonishment and in some cases concern. Eleanara was their age, but she had never quite filled out as they had, and this trek had done nothing to help that image. "Come on then. A bath and food and then we can talk about this blasted war," Gairen went on still oblivious.


	7. Chapter 7

The rooms proved to be simple but clean and spacious enough. The girls shared one room and true to word, Gairen brought a cot in for them. Eunhyuk and Leeteuk took the room next to theirs and Siwon and Kyuhyun the one after that. Their packs were settled unceremoniously on the floor while they situated themselves for baths. Fortunately, there were two fairly large tubs with a pump for hot water and one for cold as well. No wonder Gairen charged for baths… The water had to be heated and they all wondered where that took place as they didn't see any obvious furnace or piping otherwise.

Politely, the girls were allowed to go first, which Summer and Kharin did with relish, though not without a backwards glance to Eleanara who slept on in the bed furthest from the door.

"We'll watch her," Leeteuk assured them before they stole off to the baths gratefully. They knew he was as good as his word. He sat down on the bed opposite her and sighed, wondering when she would wake up after they made her sleep again.

Siwon joined him shortly, sitting down next to the other man. "I hope we're not making her sleep too much," he murmured quietly, the concern plain on his face. "I know she needed it, but…"

Leeteuk finished the sentence for him, "But she needs food and water too." He nodded to himself, taking note of her wan complexion. She looked more drawn than usual, if not rested. "We'll let them finish first. If she doesn't wake by then, we'll have her come around," he decided, looking at Siwon who agreed with a nod.

While they waited, Eleanara did not stir, even when the girls came back and plopped down on the cot, refreshed and wearing loaner clothes from Gairen; well, the inn really. He had offered since the state of their clothes was something to sigh over and they were only grateful that he did not inquire as to how they had reached that condition.

They talked quietly, sipping on water and ignoring the sound of their stomachs grumbling. There was time enough for food later. When Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk returned, Leeteuk and Siwon left their vigil in the capable hands of the others. The baths they took were leisurely, but still faster than the others and they were back in short order, making sure to have refilled one of the baths for Eleanara.

When they got back, Kharin was just rousing a very groggy Eleanara. "Welcome back," she smiled, supporting her as she threw her legs slowly over the side and blinked blurrily at the unfamiliar room.

Awareness dawned slowly as Eleanara focused on the faces of those around her. She realized she was sitting on a bed in a room and across from her was Summer, while in the doorway were Leeteuk and Siwon, smiling encouragement. As Kharin helped her to stand, she finally managed to ask, "Did we make it?" Her voice was more of a croak and she grimaced as her throat rasped.

Summer was quick to hand her a waterskin and she drank from it thirstily, more parched than she could recall being in a while. "We did," Kharin assured her softly, a hand still under her elbow for support.

Eleanara both appreciated and resented the aide, but she let the latter slide away as she recognized that while she felt rested, she was still weak. It was not a feeling that sat with her well. "Good," she finally said, the waterskin empty and her voice marginally better. A smile crept to her face, glad simply to be awake, warm and safe. Her last memories were fuzzy but she did remember Siwon holding her and she looked at him in annoyance. "That wasn't very polite of you, you know?" she chided.

Siwon chuckled and had the grace to duck his head but he did not seem repentant at all. "You needed it," he stated evenly. "Don't even try to deny it."

Eleanara had seemed about to argue but she paused, and Kharin took that opportunity to prompt her to move forward. "You can talk later. Let's get you to the bath first," she started smoothly, watching in delight as Eleanara's face lit up at the thought.

"A warm bath?" she asked, hardly daring to hope.

"There are two in fact," Leeteuk smiled, his hair still damp and clinging to his face in slender strands.

Eleanara felt her heart flutter and her knees get weak for an entirely different reason. She managed not to trip only because Kharin was still supporting her. Gratefully, she allowed herself to be guided out, brushing by Leeteuk and Siwon so that she just missed them. She couldn't help but notice how nice they all smelled, which brought to mind her current state and she flushed, catching a whiff of herself. Two days of unwashed travel and combat did not exactly work wonders for anyone.

Kharin waved Summer off and gestured to the others that she could handle this. She could tell the other woman was getting bored and it didn't take her long to get up to go find Kyuhyun. Idly, she wondered where Eunhyuk had disappeared to and figured it was just as likely that he was in the dining area. At any rate, she'd find out before too long. Instead, she focused on helping Eleanara and making sure the bath temperature was still warm. While she waited for the other woman to slough off her soiled clothes, she politely retrieved a set of the loaners from cabinet against the wall. She viewed them speculatively, glad there was a tie in the waist for the pants as they would probably not fit otherwise. She didn't realize how accurate her assessment was until she turned around and glimpsed the physical effects of Eleanara's extensive use of her powers and skimping on food.

Eleanara caught the look and ducked her head, aware of her own predicament, before she stepped into the bath with a sigh of pleasure, trying very hard to act as if nothing were the matter. She sunk in up to her chin and waited nervously, fully expecting some sort of berating.

Kharin didn't say anything for a moment as she took the time to organize her thoughts and settle the clothes in her hands over the other empty tub for easy access. Finally, she pulled one of the two stools in the room up beside the tub and sat down. "No wonder you're seeing things," she muttered, unsure if she was more upset or sad. She reached over the lip of the tub and began to scoop handfuls of water on her hair.

Eleanara winced but didn't deny it. Healthy, rested people didn't blur realities upon waking… She could acknowledge that much. Dejectedly, she looked at her reduced self in the rippling water. "I didn't know the extent either," she admitted quietly.

"You can't keep doing this, Nara," Kharin stated heavily, her hand coming to rest lightly at the top of her back, her protruding spine pressing into her palm. Eleanara nodded furtively, biting her lip as she fought the tears that brimmed on her lashes. Kharin leaned around to look her straight in the eyes and she shook her head. "Sometimes you just have to come first." Eleanara blinked but didn't say anything yet. Her bottom lip trembled but she nodded in reluctant agreement. Easily, she slid back around behind her and reached for the soapstone to start working on her hair. "No more using your element until you're better," she specified firmly.

"But-" Eleanara started to say in denial, attempting to look around.

Kharin caught her head and made her sit still. "No. _You_ have to come first this time." Her voice softened finally as she asked, "How much good do you think you can do when you can't even keep up with the rest of us?" There was nothing the other woman could say to that.

Amidst the sounds of the water quietly lapping at the sides of the tub, the women were left to their own thoughts. Kharin recalled the conversation they'd had on the mountain while Eleanara was sleeping. _Is hunger always a side-effect of using our power? _Eleanara's emaciated body was more than enough to show a direct correlation. They had not seen the extent of it though due to the layers they all wore. Adeptly, she pat the lathered hair into place atop her head and murmured, "Lean forward." Eleanara complied and she helped to wash her back as another snippet returned to her. _Do you think she'll be okay? _Leeteuk's answer had been absolute without a trace of doubt. _Yes._

Almost as if in answer to the silent thoughts, Eleanara spoke softly, "I'm sorry to have caused you all to worry." There was a pause as she took a deep breath, bony shoulders rising above the water and then sinking back down. "I will do better from here on out," she vowed, her voice still low but intense. Kharin was right… How could she take care of them if she didn't take care of herself?

"Good. I'll hold you to that," Kharin agreed, splashing water over the soapy shoulders.

Eleanara reached up her hand and covered Kharin's hand before it could retreat. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kharin whispered, still annoyed with her but content for now.

In the main room, Gairen had gathered the rest of the party, serving them a hearty stew thick with meat and chunks of tough vegetables simmered to a soft palatability. He figured it would be a good start and if they were still hungry after, he could always throw something else together. They had all finished a bowl of stew a piece and polished off two pitchers of water before Eleanara and Kharin finally joined them, the latter guiding the former slowly. She still seemed so tiny and drawn and the clothes she wore hung loosely on her small frame as she allowed herself to be seated next to Kharin and Eunhyuk on the inside.

She smiled brightly for their benefit, the simple act wiping away the tiredness in an instant. "It's amazing what a bath can do," she laughed softly, reaching for the water.

Kharin beat her to it and politely poured a cup for her. "Here," she set the filled cup in front of her, not sure if she'd be able to handle the weight yet.

"Thank you," she murmured as conversation began to pick up around them.

Gairen's appearance slowed it again as he brought a kettle of stew out for refills and two extra bowls for the latecomers. "How are you feeling, Eleanara?" he asked quietly, seemingly nervous about startling her with his powerful voice.

Surprised that he knew her name, she stammered, "I-I am well…" Eunhyuk leaned close and provided her the name she was missing. "Thank you, master Gairen."

"None of that now," he chided instantly, setting a steaming bowl of stew down in front of her. "I'm just Gairen here," he winked, treating Kharin to the same service. She seemed ready to dig in and with Eunhyuk's assurance, she was more than satisfied it would be good.

Among polite company, it was hard to eat slow, but Eleanara managed to just keep herself from shoveling food into her mouth with a tentative glance at Kharin beside her. She could see that the others kept sending covert glances her way and it made her more aware of how right Kharin had been. Determinedly, she continued to eat, allowing her appetite to drive her.

Gairen kept an eye on the amount of food in each bowl and made sure to refill them when necessary. All of them asked for seconds, including Eleanara to the general amusement of the rest. He did have to go get a new pitcher for their water, but that was simple enough and when he returned bearing an additional mug of something considerably stronger than water, he was about ready to join in the conversation. He sat down next to Siwon in the last empty seat of the eight person table and took a sip, eyeing the curious newcomers patiently. "This has been some nasty business with Enrhyll," he explained slowly, peering at his drink balefully. "Bad enough that he has declared war on the world, but worse that he controls the elements." Dark frowns appeared all around the table. While it wasn't exactly news to them, it still left a bad taste in their mouth. "Aye. He has the power of the gods and they themselves have deserted us to our miserable fate," he sighed, a curious mix of acceptance and despair blending in his voice.

"Have any forces been strong enough to oppose him?" Kharin asked, the spoon resting on her bowl as she took a break.

Gairen laughed harshly. "Oh, plenty oppose him. And they all die. Enrhyll takes no prisoners. You either accept his claim that he is a god or you die." Put so bluntly, it made many of them look at each other in concern. This was the man they were sent to fight…

"The gods haven't deserted us," Eunhyuk asserted, placing his spoon in his empty bowl, his soft brown eyes determined.

"At least you think so," Gairen laughed lightly, humoring him.

He frowned at the patronizing tone. "Just wait. You'll see," he persisted, glancing around the table for support. No one said anything for a moment, but their expressions didn't look quite so bleak anymore either.

"There is always hope," Leeteuk finally smiled, raising his cup to him in toast.

The rest followed his example, smiling in turn. Gairen regarded them speculatively. They had such confidence that the world was not lost. He wondered why… Despite that, he didn't miss Eleanar drain her cup and then look at her bowl mournfully. He chuckled and pushed his drink away while he stood up to get the nearly empty pot. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kharin refill her cup and he managed to surprise her when he filled her bowl again. She smiled at him sheepishly which turned to uncertainty when the others regarded her curiously.

Kharin didn't miss it. "She's just making up for the meals she didn't have on our way here," she winked, nudging Eleanara lightly with an elbow. "Eunhyuk here," she started, reaching around behind Eleanara and clapping him on the shoulder, "is just always hungry." At his surprised expression, she chuckled and winked at him, drawing attention from the smaller woman deftly as her new target took on a mock-affronted air.

The charade faded quickly and he laughed, adding, "I've always had a hollow leg. Or so I've been told often enough." Good-naturedly, he held out his bowl for one more small serving, after which he eyed Kharin and Eleanara speculatively.

Gairen settled himself again and took another deep breath. "So where are you headed? Must be important if the monastery sent you," he mused thoughtfully.

"We're headed for the capitol Lornhaldt," Leeteuk provided. "We are to obtain more specialized instruction than they can provide us with at the monastery," he adlibbed, partially telling the truth.

"That's quite a ways from here," Gairen stated thoughtfully. "At least a couple weeks. Are you sure you're up for the journey?" His gaze fell upon all of them, but they could tell he was focusing specifically on Eleanara with that question.

The group looked mildly uncomfortable but Siwon spoke up, "We were actually hoping to resupply here too if possible. Obviously, we need new clothes and if you had any food or traveling gear that you would recommend we could carry, we would be open to the suggestions."

"What sort of weather can we expect?" Summer asked, rubbing her arms reflexively. She hadn't been quite as affected as some but she hoped that it was going to get at least a little bit warmer the further they got from the mountains.

Gairen laughed at the pair and then nodded. "Aye. We've got a tailor in town who might be able to help you with the travel clothes; seeing as your other ones were dreadfully spoiled. What happened, if I might ask?" The rips and tears he understood just fine but the blood on several of them was beyond him. None of them seemed that badly wounded and only Eleanara had been in need of further looking after when they arrived.

Kyuhyun picked up the answer to that one with a quirk to his mouth. "It's not exactly easy traveling down the remains of an avalanche. Especially since we didn't have any of the gear for it." He shrugged as he dismissed the question.

Gairen didn't seem inclined to let it go that easily. He stared at the contents of his cup and murmured, "It looks more like you were attacked." It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but these were dark times and with the patrols they had been seeing…there was no telling anymore.

Uncertainly, eyes trailed from person to person, wondering just how much they should say. It was unlikely they would have escaped a brush with the massive snow wolves as they were… Kharin glanced around, aware how they had no good excuse for it; but maybe if they bent the truth enough… She cleared her throat and met Gairen's gaze, her focus intense. "Well, Siwon and I did fall in our climb down," she started to explain, drawing facts from their tumble down the mountain. As she spoke, she reached out with her power and instead of trying to cover everything in darkness, she imagined instead drawing a shadow around his awareness; something to blur the edges enough that he might not press them further. "One of the fragments of debris caught me in the side and Siwon's back was torn up pretty good. They were messy wounds." Both statements were true and while she gestured for the others to agree, she maintained eye contact with Gairen.

Summer was well aware that Kharin was trying to use her element but she didn't know what it was that she was trying to accomplish. Slowly, she understood that the shadow elementalist was, in essence, casting a spell over the innkeeper. A glance around showed that the rest were catching on too, but it seemed as if Gairen was leaning towards believing the partially true explanation.

As the words sank in, Gairen's eyes flickered in concern and he focused on Kharin, who looked slightly more relaxed, and Siwon. "You should have said something if you were hurt that bad," he protested, beginning to get up.

Leeteuk stalled him, "It's okay. Eleanara studied medicine in the monastery and she asked me to help." He understood where Kharin had been trying to lead him. "I think it's part of the reason she was as exhausted as she was," he insisted, looking across the table and nodding forcefully. "She was so worried about us, she didn't really take care of herself," he laughed, eliciting nods from the others as well.

Distracted and mildly outraged, Gairen fixed his gaze on Eleanara. "And they haven't been keeping an eye on you? You will all have to do better than that if she's going to go with you to the capitol." He crossed his arms stiffly in front of his chest and glared at the others at the table, surprising them with his sudden interest. "If she's doing all she can to take care of you, then you damn well better take care of her too," he growled, making sure they all understood what he was saying and then agreed with him by nodding fervently.

Eleanara flushed at his protectiveness, embarrassed. Admittedly, she was the smallest of the group and to him, it seemed as if she was doing the most work, at least in so far as taking care of them was concerned, but… She pushed her bowl away from her and cleared her throat softly, "It's partly my fault too." She looked at Kharin in acknowledgement briefly. Gairen looked at her with a puzzled expression and she went on, gesturing at the others around her with a warm smile on her face, "I remember to take care of them but it's also my responsibility to take care of myself so that I may continue doing what I do best." Her conversation with Kharin was still bouncing around her head just now and she really should know better by now. "Besides, they do more than you give them credit for," she added, remembering the trip down where they had all helped her to move forward, one step at a time.

As she looked around the circle, meeting the gazes of her friends, she could tell they understood what she was saying and appreciated the words. "We all rely on each other," Leeteuk added softly. "We're not perfect, but together we balance each other out. With a little more practice and maybe a few more words of wisdom," he smiled, focusing on Gairen, "we'll be alright."

For a long moment, Gairen just looked at Leeteuk and Eleanara, measuring them and their words. At last, he took a sip of his mug and set it down gingerly, a large sigh escaping him. "I will hold you to that," he stated simply. Gingerly, as if his age was getting to him, he stood up and settled the chair back in place. "We will talk more in the morning," he said, glancing at them from the corner of his eye. "Rest well tonight." With that, he left them alone and made his way back behind his bar, through the door that presumably went to his room.

His going left a pensive silence in his wake and the friends looked around uncertainly. Leeteuk finally took a deep breath and focused on Kharin before seeing the others. "It's probably about time we went to sleep too," he spoke into the quiet, startling some and bringing tired nods from the rest. "We've had a long day."

Easily, the others agreed with that, though the statement only elicited a quite sigh from Eleanara. She had not been conscious for most of it… As a group, they all started to stand up except for Leeteuk who called out, "Kharin. Do you have a minute?"

Surprised, she nodded and glanced back at Eunhyuk whom she had been walking beside. "Go on you. You need your beauty sleep," she winked, patting his cheek playfully once and then giving him a light shove towards the rooms.

"Look who's talking," Eunhyuk chuckled, shaking his head but leading the way. Eleanara glanced between Kharin and Leeteuk uncertainly but then shrugged and followed after.

Summer and Siwon playfully snagged Kyuhyun by each arm, who gave a long suffering sigh, and paraded him towards the back as well. "You're as tired as the rest of us," Summer stated bluntly to Kyuhyun who quickly loosed himself from their hands and waved them off.

"I can get there on my own." Stubbornly, he put his hands in the deep pockets of the comfortable pants and moved ahead of them to their amusement. Siwon winked at Summer and came up behind Kyuhyun suddenly, jumping on his back playfully. "Hey!" the other man cried, startled as he struggled to catch his balance. Summer's laughter followed them down the hall, leaving the last two in the room in relative silence.

Not sure where to start, they both regarded each other in the uncomfortable silence. Finally, Leeteuk started, "How is she?"

"Undernourished and weakened," she answered bluntly, though a sly smile did come across her face. "I think we reached a bit of an understanding though."

"Oh?" Leeteuk queried, one brow raised.

"I told her she has to take care of herself." Kharin crossed her arms in front of her chest and regarded him evenly as he chuckled.

He just shook his head, trying to imagine how that conversation had gone. All humor aside though, he fixed her with a more serious expression. "What did you do to Gairen?"

Kharin looked slightly uncomfortable and her arms uncrossed slowly. She wasn't entirely certain herself but it had worked… "I tried to draw a shadow over his awareness," she admitted slowly. "We had no good reason for having the wounds and my story by itself would not have held up." He nodded in agreement, fully aware of that. "I just made it easier to accept the story."

A heavy sigh caught her attention. "I can't imagine it being an easy ability, but it's good to know you have it at hand." He glanced down at his hands in wonder, clearly curious as to what else they might be able to do. "I'd wager that wasn't anything you learned in the monastery was it." It was a statement more than a question. Their education there had been very rudimentary and straight-forward.

"No, but we all do what we can," she told him honestly. She shrugged her shoulders uncertainly and laughed. "I did what I could. As we all do for each other."

Leeteuk had to laugh at that. "Indeed. Thank you for telling me," he smiled, stepping forward to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

"I'll let you know if I think of anything else," she winked, a modicum of her usual confidence returning. Her expression turned serious briefly. "But seriously. We need to keep an eye on Eleanara. Using our abilities draws on more than just our strength throughout the day." His hand on her shoulder tightened in understanding and he nodded once. "That goes for all of us too."

"You're right," he admitted with a smile, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "Come on," he gestured with one hand, starting for the rooms. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Indeed we do," Kharin agreed quietly. New clothes, new supplies, and a new path to follow as they headed for the madman Enryhll with no end in sight. Quietly, she followed Leeteuk back to the rooms.

He saw her off into the room she shared with Summer and Eleanara, waving good night to them before he turned to the room he was sharing with Eunhyuk. As he sat down in the dim light, he conceded they really did have a large day to face tomorrow, but they had each other. None of them were perfect but together, they all made up for it. Before he laid down, he stood up to blow out the candle on the small table nestled between the two beds, the shadows dancing on Eunhyuk's sleeping face disappearing instantly. With another deep breath, he closed his eyes and gave himself up to the realm of dreams.


	8. Chapter 8

Whether it was because they all had been on edge for the past two days, or maybe it was the safety of the inn and the bath and the good food they were able to enjoy, but the whole party slept soundly, without the need for worrying about a watch. Morning came sooner for some than others, but on the whole, dawn's greeting light through the shuttered and heavy glass windows woke them slowly. In the girl's room, Kharin was the first to wake, the cot not providing the regular comfort of her normal bed, but she was rested and only slightly stiff. She took a peek at the other two in the dim morning luminescence, noting that Summer was beginning to stir as if she was going to wake soon and Eleanara was curled tightly into a ball on her bed, the covers bundled around her messily. Kharin laughed and saw Summer crack an eye open. "Morning," she called quietly, sitting up and placing her bare feet on the cold ground, wincing in resigned acceptance.

"Morning," Summer yawned, stretching hugely on the bed. She looked over at Eleanara and shrugged, sitting up to look around. Her eyes opened reluctantly at first and then she took another deep breath. "What time is it?"

"I'd wager just after dawn," Kharin supplied, moving to the window and slowly prying open the shutter to let the light spill in. It was incredibly bright, reflecting off the field of snow everywhere so that she only cracked it instead of opening it completely. "Wow."

"What?" Summer asked, coming over to see for herself. "Oh…wow," she murmured, looking over Kharin's shoulder to watch the sun rise, glorious and golden, over the mountains, making everything it touched glow.

While it wasn't much, the extra light was enough to rouse Eleanara from her slumber and she murmured sleepily, "What time is it?" as she twisted her head around to see what they were looking at. When they both gestured for her to join them, she wrapped the blanket around her tighter and shuffled over to the window, sliding around the pair so she could look through the window without having to try and see around them. Her mouth opened slowly in amazement and she sighed, "It's so pretty."

"Thought you might like that," Kharin laughed, a smile in her voice as she placed an arm around the smaller woman's shoulder. She felt more substantial today and not as if she was going to fall over at the merest touch. It was reassuring in its own way.

In the other room, the guys were going through a similar realization. Eunhyuk woke up groggily when Leeteuk opened the shutter, shielding his eyes with his hand to reduce the snow glare. "Now that's not a sight you see every day," a breathless sigh escaping from him as he looked out in wonder at the white landscape.

Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand, Eunhyuk shuffled over toe Leeteuk and perched his chin on the other man's shoulder as he looked out too. "It's never this bright back home," he murmured sleepily, reaching up to pat Leeteuk's free shoulder with his hand.

Leeteuk agreed with a nod. He didn't have to explain, but after a pause, he shut the portal partially and looked at Eunhyuk out of the corner of his eye. "Come on then. We should check on the others."

Eunhyuk agreed, stepping back and stretching hugely. He jumped with a surprised grin when Leeteuk poked him in the side, unable to resist such a clear opening. Playfully, he feinted back and then bolted for the door, still grinning.

"Hey!" Leeteuk laughed as the door was almost closed in his face. They called a truce early but Eunhyuk maintained the impish grin. Together, they paused outside the room Siwon and Kyuhyun were sharing. Leeteuk peeked in first and laughed, shaking his head in amusement. Behind him, he could hear Eunhyuk laughing.

Siwon was partially laying on Kyuhyun, playfully shaking him. "Come on, Kyu. Time to get up. Kyuuuu," he tried again, jostling the other man's shoulder.

Kyuhyun grumbled something unintelligible and shrugged his shoulder, ineffectively trying to ward the other man off.

Leeteuk pushed open the door the rest of the way and strode over to the closed shutters while Eunhyuk rushed in and perched at the edge of the bed, resting his chin on his hands directly in front of the sleeper. "Come on guys," Leeteuk called as he opened the shutter, filling the room with light.

On the bed, Kyuhyun finally opened his eyes and in the second it took him to focus, he saw Eunhyuk's face less than a foot from him and he started. His reaction nudged Siwon off the bed who flailed, unsuccessfully trying to catch himself. In a flurry of limbs, he landed on the floor with a thud, laughing at himself and then Eunhyuk who had collapsed in laughter too.

"Don't do that," Kyuhyun muttered at Eunhyuk and while he tried to remain serious, a smile crossed his face when he said it and he couldn't help but laugh with them.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Kharin asked in confusion as she rounded the corner, followed by Summer and Eleanara who had been drawn by the laughter and noise. They took in the scene and shook their heads with amused grins. "Never mind," she amended, weaving her hands at them dismissively before she turned around and headed back out.

Leeteuk finally moved to help Siwon up and Summer went by to haul the newly wakened Kyuhyun off the bed. "Wait!" he cried plaintively, forced to get to his feet or suffer the same indignity as Siwon.

"Oh come on, sleepy head," she went on, relentlessly dragging him anyway. She did give him time enough to get to his feet before leading him out to the dining area.

Eunhyuk finally used the bed to climb to his feet, wiping amused tears from his face. "I'm okay," he assured them with a grin, giving them a 'v' sign with his fingers enthusiastically. Eleanara met his gaze and she smiled appreciatively, grateful for the clarification. Sure that everyone was unharmed, she was free to head out too. At the doorway, he just managed to catch a glimpse of Kharin who had apparently lagged behind to make sure herself before she turned and disappeared.

Leeteuk caught him around the shoulder and propelled him forward behind Siwon. "Let's go."

By the time they all made their way out into the dining area, Gairen was already laying out food for the others. Platters of ham, hashed potatoes and a pot of porridge were already there and he was on his way back with a tray of biscuits and toppings. Two set of cups sat next to each plate and a large kettle steamed nearby , resting on a thick towel to keep from scorching the table. "Coffee?" he asked genially, setting the tray down and carefully making his way around the table.

"Coffee?" Eunhyuk asked as he took his seat. The others mirrored his confusion.

Astonishment showed on Gairen's face and then he laughed as he remembered something. "That's right. Them up at the monastery don't have coffee. Just try it," he winked, pouring each person a half-cup. "Black's just as good but there's some milk and sugar there," he gestured at two containers next to the preserves and butter.

Tentatively, each person tried a sip with varying results. Neither Kyuhyun nor Summer liked it nay which way, even with milk and sugar, and Siwon was the only one content to leave it black. "How can you drink that?" Kyuhyun asked, glancing around the table uncertainly as he took a large gulp of water to wash the taste out of his mouth.

"I guess it's a taste you get used to," Gairen stated with a half-smile as he took another sip and regarded the rest while they promptly dug into the trays on the table. They all looked well rested and much better for it and they had the appetite to show it. Biscuits and porridge he had in plenty but the rest he would need to be a bit sparing with. Seeing they were content to eat as opposed to converse, he let the edge of hunger die down before he said anything.

After the first plate was cleared and then promptly filled again, he grinned and leaned forward. "Whenever you all are ready, we can go see Drell and Vayna." Curious expressions met his statement and he set his coffee down. "They're our resident tailors as it were. Granted, they usually work with fur and hard leather, but they've a way with cloth too. If you're lucky, they might even be able to craft you all something today. Depends on what they're working on though," he mused as he looked away, not sure what they had been doing lately.

The idea of staying another full day was both enticing and worrisome. They were all aware that they had to move fast, but if they were improperly prepared, that was just as much folly as going into battle without the proper weapons. "We will have to see what they will be able to do for us," Leeteuk temporized for them. He didn't want to commit to anything either, but new clothes were a bit of a necessity just now. He'd also like a chance to see what else they might recommend for the rest of their trek into warmer climes.

"Do you think we might be able to pick up some basic weapons too?" Siwon asked over his mostly finished cup of coffee. He was leaning back from the table, his plate pushed out in front of him.

Gairen eyed them speculatively. "Now if you don't know how to use them, they're just as dangerous to you, ya know…"

"We've got the basics," Kharin assured him with a confident wink. "The monastery just wasn't able to furbish us with weapons this time and the training equipment, well…" She didn't even have to finish that sentence for him to laugh in understanding.

"Alright!" he nodded slowly. "If you can show Tierne you know what you're doing, then he might be able to help you out. I make no promises though," he held out his hands in denial.

"What about travel food?" Eunhyuk asked as he fidgeted in his chair. He shrugged when his question drew amused glances. "I just thought they might have something better than our travel rations," he remarked dryly.

"I'll get back to you on that one," Gairen answered evenly. He was responsible for most of the food production here and they did have some things he made with longevity in mind. If they were here for another day, it was entirely likely he'd be able to whip up something for them. "Like I said. Whenever you're ready, just let me know," he assured them, picking up his cup and heading into the back again.

With the innkeeper gone, they looked around for a bit before they finally felt free to talk again. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't remember beds being that nice," Summer grinned, very much refreshed for the good night's rest.

"It'd be better if it wasn't so bright though," Eunhyuk muttered, still remembering the light pouring in when Leeteuk opened the shutter.

"I thought it was pretty," Eleanara remarked, reaching for another biscuit.

"Those'll make you fat if you keep eating them, Nara," Kyuhyun remarked dryly, clearly done with his breakfast already as he sipped on water, which he nearly dropped an instant later. "Oww!" he yelped as Kharin kicked his shin under the table and Summer smacked him in the back of the head. "What?" he demanded, confused and annoyed.

"That was uncalled for Kyu," Siwon remarked with a disappointed frown.

"It's true," he defended himself, glancing back at Eleanara who had set the biscuit back down and was looking around uncertainly.

Leeteuk nudged her lightly with his elbow and she glanced over at him. "If you're still hungry, eat," he assured her.

"With as much as you stay in bed," Eunhyuk started, "I'd be more worried about your physique." He laughed at the glower Kyuhyun gave him and slid back slightly, ready to bolt if he needed to.

"Alright, alright," Leeteuk waved, drawing the attention back to himself. "We've got a lot to do today and this is no time to squabble," he chided, looking between Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk. "Now I figure we've got time to clean ourselves up and then we can see if Gairen can help us get the rest sorted out. Yes?" he prompted, looking around the table. He received varying degrees of acceptance all around. "Good." With that, he pushed himself away from the table and headed to the back, fully intent on taking a leisurely bath.

The other six looked around at each other, Eleanara still slightly uncomfortable and Kyuhyun still annoyed. Siwon took that moment to finish off his coffee and follow Leeteuk's path to the baths. He had felt a bit gipped too from the night before.

With nothing left to do but wait around, the rest of the group dispersed back to their rooms. Not wishing to be by himself or spending time with the sour Kyuhyun, Eunhyuk joined the girls in their room. It was not long before his more hyper than usual antics had them laughing again. The antics spiraled into a tickle war, eliciting peals of laughter from all of them until he, in an act of great daring, tried to tickle Kharin. A knee-jerk reaction to kick caught him in the gut, sending him to the floor, laughing and coughing at the same time.

Kharin vacillated between feeling slightly guilty and not as she peered at him with some concern. "What have I told you about tickling me?" she half-laughed.

Eunhyuk coughed again and then waved one free hand at her, "I know, I know. But it's so much fun," he grinned mischievously, still rubbing his abdomen.

"You are insufferable," she laughed, to the relief of the other two.

"You didn't have to kick him quite so hard though, did you Kharin?" Eleanara asked, looking between the two in mild concern. She kept her hands firmly in her lap so she wouldn't be tempted to try and use her ability, not that he would need it for something so minor, but the compulsion was still there.

"I can't help it," she shrugged, giving him a hand up from the floor.

Leeteuk peeked in through the open door and grinned, "Who's up next?"

"Oh! Me!" Eunhyuk stated automatically, raising his hand and springing through the door for the bathing area.

"Is it just me or is he more energetic than usual?" Summer asked as she stared at the quickly vacated doorway in surprise.

"More energetic," Eleanara and Kharin both stated at the same time, looking at each other and laughing in tandem.

While they waited for their turns, Summer went to check on Kyuhyun but found that had gone to take a bath too. When that plan failed, she returned to the girl's room and like them, started to go through the supplies they did have. At Kharin's suggestion, they started to brainstorm what they might be able to add or would be useful on the way down. Leeteuk and Siwon looked in briefly, agreeing that was a good idea, before they went to dissect their packs too. Eunhyuk and Kyuhyun returned with a definite amount of space between them, at which point the girls took their turn, glancing into the guys rooms curiously on their way down.

All in all, it was closer to mid-morning by the time they were ready to get together and figure anything out, insofar as clothes and supplies were concerned. Leeteuk went and found Gairen so that they could enlist his aid in going to see the tailors and he was only too happy to make sure they had proper footwear and decent overcoats before ushering them through the snow covered ground and icy cold air to a building cattycorner to his. "This here's the Cross Stitch," he remarked, holding the front door open for them while he ushered them inside.

The group huddled together in the immediate doorway, barely leaving room for him to slide around them, chuckling as they shivered and chafed cold hands and arms. "Drell! Vayna!" he called out loudly, surprising the seven with the sound.

"Gairen? Is that you, lad?" and older sounding woman asked, coming from a back room to the left. She was as tall as Kyuhyun when she came out to appraise her visitors and she looked at them critically, clearly disapproving the clothes they were wearing at present. "And what's this?" she demanded of him, her voice still vibrant despite the years she apparently wore. Vayna was an older woman with brownish blonde hair, liberally streaked with grays that she kept mostly hidden under a bright red kerchief that covered the top of her ears. She had pale brown eyes that were still uncomfortably sharp and a complexion less wrinkled than they would have imagined. It didn't help that she was an intimidating woman with a physique closer to Siwon's…

"Come now, Vayna. Is that any way to treat customers?" Gairen asked jovially as he stepped around and clapped her on the shoulder forcefully.

She grinned at his comment and the smile transformed her face from severe to charming in an instant. Immediately, the group felt themselves relax as she lost the annoyed expression and regarded them anew. "Well, obviously. With those clothes, they'd have to be." Meticulously, she ticked them off one at a time and then looked around behind her critically. "Drell. Drell! Get your arse out here!" she snapped, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hold your horses, Vayna," a much more gentle voice sounded from the back. From the same door she had appeared from, a man of comparable age and physique stepped through, though he was completely bereft of hair. He wiped his permanently stained hands on the dirty apron he wore and came around to the front, his demeanor calm and professional. Competent dark brown eyes looked them over succinctly and then met Gairen's. "Good to see you again," he smiled broadly, giving the other man a firm handshake.

"And you as well," Gairen laughed, gesturing at his guests. "They young folks need new gear for the rest of their trip down the mountain," he explained. At the curious expression Drell gave him, he elaborated further, "They had a tough time coming down from the monastery."

Drell nodded knowingly and then looked over at Vayna. "I suppose those furs aren't going anywhere today, aye?"

Vayna laughed, a sharp but amused sound. "I think they'll last." Almost gleefully, she removed the measuring tape she had draped around her shoulders and gestured at the three girls. "You three follow me," she stated, all business as she headed for the back room to the right.

Uncertainly, Kharin, Summer and Eleanara exchanged glances with each other and then with the four guys. Drell chuckled at their nerves. "Don't worry. She doesn't bite. Hard," he couldn't help adding with a sly wink.

The three gulped but had no choice but to follow when they heard her voice floating from the back, "Are you comin or not?" As a group, they made their way through the curious interior, decorated with the tools of their trade and covered with bolts and rolls of several different types and colors of fabrics. One wall actually had a rack of preserved furs hanging on three tiers of shelves.

Drell watched them leave and then eyed the rest of the group with a practiced expression. "Let's get started then," he grinned, retrieving the measuring tape he carried in his apron pocket and motioning for them to precede him into the room he had come from.

Gairen waved before he exited, calling out, "I'll be back at the inn. Just send em over when you're done with them."

Drell waved but didn't look back. Over the next hour, each individual was measured no less than three times and tentatively fit for two pairs of pants, two shirts, new smallclothes, a pair of custom boots and a new coat that would be necessary for the rest of the journey through the snow covered areas. By the time the guys were finished, the girls looked as if they'd been done for a bit now and they were clustered in a small group with Vayna towering over them, a chiding yet maternal tone to her voice that tapered off when she heard the men returning. Eleanara looked moderately embarrassed and the other two were a mixture of amused and thoughtful.

"You must be getting old if it took you that long," Vayna remarked to her significant other when they were close enough.

"Or someone's just growing younger," he winked, leaning forward to kiss her quickly on the cheek. They were all surprised when she flushed after the compliment and then retreated to her room to begin her work. Drell addressed them with a happy smile. "If all goes well, we should be able to have your order done by tomorrow. Don't worry about price now," he declined, noticing Leeteuk reaching for the pouch he knew he was carrying with him. "We'll settle that tomorrow when the clothes are finished. The monastery will pick up most of it anyway," he assured them with the practiced air of one that had been doing this for a while. Confidently, he moved over to the door and waved them out. "Now go on back to Gairen and he'll take care of you from here."

The group sprinted back to the inn from the tailor's, earning laughs and amused comments from some of the locals walking by. Leeteuk held the door open for the others and then rushed inside, shaking one good time and laughing with the rest when they stumbled in.

"How'd it go?" Gairen asked from the back, having heard the door open and close.

"Very well," Leeteuk responded, glancing at the others for confirmation.

"They're an interesting couple," Kharin remarked as she stomped the rest of the snow off her feet.

"It seems like they've been doing that for a long time," Siwon remarked, taking a seat at their now customary table.

Gairen laughed. "They have been. They're getting closer forty years now. Working that is; and still the best in town," he assured them as the number sank in.

Eleanara shook her head. "They certainly don't act that old," thinking back to some of their instructors and Yoogin in the monastery.

"It's the cold. Keeps you young," Gairen winked, disappearing into the back and then returning with a tray of mugs and a pitcher in the other hand. "Here. I'll have lunch out in a minute. Once you're done eating we can go see Tierne," he assured them.

"Do you think that'll take long?" Kyuhyun asked, apparently getting bored already, at which the others rolled their eyes but didn't deign to respond.

"Well that depends," Gairen answered honestly. "If he thinks you don't deserve weapons, then it'll be a short trip indeed."

It could have been an amusing statement but for the fact they could tell he was completely serious. Comfortably, they spaced themselves out at the table, sipping the water and waiting for him to return with whatever lunch was going to be. He surprised them all with hearty sandwiches, filled with generous slices of some sort of roast and topped with a sharp yellow cheese. Thick baked potato slices accompanied the main portion of the meal.

Hungrily, the group dug in, most of them managing to polish off the entirety of the meal and leaving only a couple of the baked potato slices if anything. Gairen left them to themselves for a bit, allowing the food to settle, before he retrieved them to go and see Tierne.

This time, the walk was a bit longer, two rows of houses past the tailor's and near the outskirts of the village where the noise wouldn't bother too many of them. They were ushered in again and greeted by a wall of heat that was like a slap in the face and the loud _ting_ of metal beating on metal. Gairen motioned for them to wait where they were before he made his way through the house, similar in nature to the tailor's only it had the heavier tools of a blacksmith.

Curiously, they peered at the various types of weapons strewn about on the walls. Some they had seen before and others were completely foreign. Eunhyuk poked at a spear with a long curved blade on the end and Kyuhyun picked up what appeared to be an elongated spiked mace…

"Put those down," a deep voice rumbled, making the pair jump and Kyuhyun dropped the weapon immediately. Eunhyuk jumped back to where he had been and Kharin caught his shoulder, the beginnings of a smile on her face. "Children shouldn't play with weapons they don't understand," the speaker went on as he came closer.

Tierne was, like most of the persons they had seen here, tall, standing even with Gairen but he had the thickest arms and barrel chest they had ever seen. He had just enough coal black hair to pull back into a tiny pony-tail and he squinted constantly so that it was hard to see he had hazel brown eyes. His skin was considerably weathered so they couldn't tell how old he was but he certainly had the demeanor of a patronizing uncle…

"You haven't even given em a chance yet, Tierne. You know better than that," Gairen chided, shaking a finger at him. The gesture seemed misplaced but the blacksmith regarded him with an even gaze and then tipped his head to him.

"Alright. You can go on then," he dismissed the innkeeper with a wave. Gairen smiled ruefully and then waved at the group, giving them a thumbs up sign before he stepped out. Tierne regarded the group with a heavy sigh. "So. What exactly do you think you can do with any of these?" he gestured to the wall of weapons he had.

The group looked over the selection carefully and began to drift towards the weapons they were most familiar with. Leeteuk reached over to the quarterstaff that was tipped on both ends by a dull metal. He hefted the weight experimentally and then nodded his head and watched the others. Kyuhyun and reached for a short sword near at hand while Eleanara chose a smaller dagger. Siwon spied a finely crafted maul that would have seemed large for most of the others but appeared to fit his hands quite nicely. Kharin looked through the weapons and took her time in finding a mace that seemed appropriate for her. Both Eunhyuk and Summer took a bit longer to find what they were searching for and had almost given up before they spied the three pronged weapons they had frequently trained with in the monastery. Of the three pairs there mostly hidden under the rest of the weaponry, they took two pairs of sai's, brightly polished with intricately wrapped handles.

Tierne watched their selections carefully, matching the choices with the person and he was thoughtful more than anything else. They were all young, but so were all the men and women who came to him for weapons initially. His greatest worry had been assuaged already in that they were only pretending to have any knowledge of the weapons they were fascinated by. What he saw now bespoke familiarity and practice. "Come," he gestured, leading them through a closed door in the back that led to a salle in the back that none of them had anticipated. The blacksmith shop was considerably larger than they had thought. He picked up a broadsword and swung it about experimentally before he glanced at the group. "Now. Show me what you've learned."

As one, the group swallowed nervously and then looked at each other. Uncertain but curious herself, Kharin shrugged and stepped forward, swinging the mace experimentally. Tierne smiled and stepped forward to meet her.

Their sparring with Tierne was mercifully short as he was an expert in weapons training and considerably better than any of them. They did, however, manage to express their competency enough so that he actually nodded at them. "So you're not as hopeless as you look," he grinned, shelving the broadsword again, barely winded.

"We try," Eunhyuk assured him, resting with the sais in his hands and pressing against his knees. He had been the final sparring partner and that had been a fascinating match, as he had the fastest footwork.

It had been an uneven match to begin with but Tierne smiled. "You can leave those here for now. Come see me tomorrow and you'll have something to take with you. To protect and defend, mind you," he eyed them carefully. They nodded in tandem, relieved and excited. As directed, they placed the weapons on the table nearby and let themselves out, sprinting for the inn again.

As before, more of the locals spied them and laughed or waved, as was their inclination. Gairen was ready for them again with mugs of warm cider instead of water. It wasn't nearly time enough to eat but they were grateful for the downtime. Later in the afternoon, Garein approached them in their rooms with a suggested list of items they should take with them and advised them to let him know if they didn't already have them. The group thanked him and then settled down again, thinking on the events that had recently transpired and the journey that was to come. Their dinner and evening were a subdued affair and it was a relief for them to sleep so that the next day would arrive that much faster.


	9. Chapter 9

Morning found the group up early and filled with nervous energy. Unlike most mornings, there were no late risers, not to say they were lacking any of their usual antics. Eunhyuk 'blew' all the blankets off the girls while they were just getting out of bed. Kharin followed the fleeing figure as he retreated to hide behind Leeteuk. The latter looked confused, then amused and finally surprised when Kharin grinned mischievously.

Behind him, Eunhyuk murmured, "Uh oh…"

Quickly, Kharin filled the room with darkness and stepped back, closing the door behind her and keeping an eye out in case Garein showed up unexpectedly. She listened at the door as Summer and Eleanara came out to see what had happened.

They heard a thud followed by, "Ow! Kharin," Leeteuk called, still confused.

Eleanara's amusement at the situation faded slightly at that and she poked the shadow elementalist, "Kharin…"

"What?" she shrugged, still grinning. At Eleanara's continued attention, she sighed. "Oh alright." She cracked the door open and removed the darkness from the room, revealing Eunhyuk sitting on the bed further from the door and Leeteuk slowly picking himself up from the floor.

Eleanara peeked around the door under Kharin's arms and nearly fell forward when Siwon snagged Kharin around the shoulders and hauled her away, laughing, "Stop picking on them."

"But it's fun," she remarked, allowing herself to be dragged and poking him in the ribs for good measure.

"Yeah, yeah," they heard him respond down the hallway.

Summer spied Kyuhyun following them, a fairly straight expression on his face. She waited for him to walk by before she hopped on his back and laughed, "Smile, Kyu!" The tops of her feet dragged lightly against the ground as she held on with her arms.

"Why?" he smirked, taking her a couple steps before actually helping to hold her up.

"Just because," she assured him, propping her chin on his shoulder as he carried her. His gentle chuckle as he walked was answer enough she had gotten him to smile.

Leeteuk surprised the distracted Eleanara as she watched them move away. He placed his hand against the middle of her back and smiled down at her, "Shall we join them?"

She chirped an affirmative and nodded, glancing over his shoulder to see Eunhyuk close behind. On impulse, she waved at him enthusiastically, making him grin, before she was propelled in the general direction of the others.

Breakfast was a lively affair, full of animated conversation as they got themselves ready for the next leg of their journey. Gairen sat and filled them in on points of interest and warned them to steer clear of any patrols they might see. He had no idea how eager they were to do just that. They were pleasantly surprised to learn that he had managed to pull together a different kind of travel ration. It was like the ones they had, but the bread was significantly different being darker and heartier, and he used a different dried meat and dry cheese that kept well in cooler climes.

As a whole, they were encouraged to clean themselves up again as Gairen volunteered to see how their gear was coming along. That and it was likely they wouldn't have access to a bath as nice as this one had been. First though, he pulled Leeteuk off to the side to help review the map that he carried. It was a bit outdated but he filled in more recent notes to indicate good stopping points and certain dangers they might come across. Part way into the discussion, Eleanara joined them taking the spot next to Leeteuk as she usually did on the trail and listened intently. Gairen just shrugged when Leeteuk didn't say anything and continued his explanation.

The others distracted themselves with pretending to go through their packs and attempting to clean up the rooms. Most of the stuff they had left in the packs so there was very little mess to clean up in general but none of them were overly inclined to get around to it. In fact, baths took a bit longer than usual and those that were left in the rooms messed with each other as much as they attempted to clean.

While Kharin and Summer took the first set of baths, Eunhyuk kept leaning into the room Siwon and Kyuhyun shared and ruffling the made beds. It was easy enough to distract himself but after the third such attempt, Siwon surprised him with a globe of water that dropped down from above and doused his head.

Kyuhyun fell back on the bed he had been waiting in front of and laughed, glancing over at the drenched Eunhyuk which only prompted further laughter. Siwon chuckled and threw him a towel which he caught awkwardly, a rueful grin on his face. "Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Eunhyuk dabbed at himself and laughed, "I do now."

Kyuhyun continued to watch in no small amount of glee as Eunhyuk also had to wipe down the floor so none of the others would slip. The girls chose that moment to walk by, damp hair unbound for a change and they paused to watch Eunhyuk cleaning up the spill. "What did we miss?" Kharin asked, using the doorframe to lean over the man on the floor and glance down at the floor.

He looked up and jerked to the side when he saw how close she was, a couple stray strands of hair nearly long enough to touch him. Abruptly, he sat back and propped the hand that held the towel on top of the knee he propped up and looked up at the pair in the doorway. "Siwon got me," he admitted, carelessly sending and wisp of wind to ruffle the water elementalist's hair. Siwon just laughed as he fixed his hair and shook his head.

"Come on you," Kharin reached out her free hand towards Eunhyuk. "I guess that makes it your turn," she winked, helping to haul him to his feet as he had already gotten most of the water on the floor. What was left wouldn't hurt anyone.

"I'll be ready for it next time," he told Siwon as he threw the wet towel over an equally wet shirt.

"Is that a challenge?" Siwon asked, rising to follow the shorter man who grinned and fled effortlessly to the bathing area. "Hah. Guess I better go keep an eye on him," he winked conspiratorially at the girls.

They watched him go with amused expressions. Summer took the bed opposite Kyuhyun and peered at him. "Whatcha doing?"

"Resting," he answered easily, looking back at her with relaxed eyes.

"Good idea," she agreed, throwing herself down on the covers of the other bed and taking a deep breath.

Kharin shrugged and went to the front to see how the other two were doing with Gairen. It appeared as if the innkeeper had pretty much finished his explanation as both Leeteuk and Eleanara were looking over the map themselves, speaking quietly while he was heading for the door. Before he reached it, Vayna bustled in followed by a blast of cold snowy air.

"Brrr," she shivered in amusement, the long-sleeve shirt she wore hardly sufficient to deter the cold outside for long. "We've got a cold one today, Gairen," she chuckled, shaking the flakes of snow off her kerchief covered head. Distractedly, she headed for the nearest dining table and unloaded the packets in her arms unceremoniously. "Ah, they're only clothes," she waved when he seemed concerned that a couple parcels fell onto the floor.

"I thought we were supposed to go and get them?" Eleanara began tentatively, hovering near Leeteuk, startled by the sudden appearance of the intense woman.

"Well, ya took too long," Vayna laughed as she retrieved the two fallen packets and set them out on the table. "We finished sooner than we thought," she shrugged, eyeing the three she could see. "You're all a lot smaller than our typical orders so didn't take as much." Her matter of fact explanation left them curious as to whether it was a compliment or possible insult…

Tentatively, Leeteuk reached for the pouch of money he continued to carry on his person and started, "And how much did it come to?"

Annoyed, she waved the idea away. "We'll just charge the monastery for the cost with their next messenger up. Ain't got time to be haggling with you," she stated bluntly. "Too many damn patrols in the area," she added gruffly, a severely perturbed expression marring her face.

Comprehension dawned on Leeteuk and he nodded. "The sooner we leave the better then." Mild approval flared to life in the older woman's eyes and she nodded. "Tierne should be along shortly too. He wants to go after Marcus when we've sent these ones off," she directed at Gairen. "You got any more of those travel rations?"

"Sure," Gairen nodded, mild concern in his eyes. "See me on your way out," he waved, noting her restlessness.

"You know it," she grinned, a strong set of well cared for teeth showing prominently. "Take care out there, youngsters. The snow's the least of your worries," she laughed, unaware of how menacing that statement sounded. The thought crossed her mind before she reached the door and she laughed harder. "Forget I said that. You'll be fine!" With that, she ducked back out into the cold snowy day and closed the door firmly behind her.

Uncertainly, the three elementalists looked at each other and forced half-smiles. Gairen caught the looks and laughed heartily. "Pay her no mind. She doesn't mean any harm by it." Enthusiastically, he waved them over and grinned. "Don't you want to see what they've made you?"

Blatant curiosity crossed their faces as they made their way over to glance at the table full of paper wrapped parcels. They were large but that was a given since each one supposedly had all the items for each person. The only difference between the packages were the letters on them, meant to help them distinguish which package was for whom. The only one that was easy to tell apart initially was Leeteuk's but once they started opening the packets, it was easy enough to see which ones belonged to the guys and which belonged to the girls. Vayna had chosen dark brown for their trousers and a sort of russet red top which would help to hide most messes of any sort. Drell had fashioned the men's trousers out of a black cloth and he had given then dark blue tops with a similar function in mind. Each packet had a pair of well-made light brown leather boots, tan soft leather gloves and off-white winter coats to help blend in with the snow.

Excitedly, Kharin grabbed up her set and hurried back to the room to try them on, letting Summer and Kyuhyun know their clothes were on the table too. A moment later, the pair appeared to retrieve their new garments. Summer was just as eager to try hers on while the other three glanced in the direction of the hall that led to the bathing area. They'd rather be clean first and not have to change yet again…

Fortunately, Siwon and Eunhyuk emerged soon after, damp and refreshed. They had heard the general excitement of the girls down the hall and came to investigate for themselves. Kyuhyun immediately headed for the baths after that, leaving Leeteuk to shrug at Eleanara as he followed suit so she wouldn't have to wait longer than she needed to. Though she was the last to be able to clean up, she was the only one present when the massive Tierne came through the door, startling her again.

The blacksmith took one look around, saw the table still topped with a couple items of clothes and then headed for an empty table before gently placing his carefully wrapped cloth bundle on the flat surface, metal chiming softly underneath. He fixed Eleanara with a steady gaze and stated simply, "You treat them right, they'll do the same for you." Satisfied, he nodded once and abruptly left before Gairen even had a chance to come out and properly greet him.

Seeing the weapon's bundle on the table, Gairen sighed. "He's always like that. Ah well. Let's see what he's done this time." Almost reverently, he unrolled the cloth cover and allowed the weapons to settle, metal chiming again as they had more room to move. "Looks like he polished up some of his old pieces for ya," he grinned, carefully touching the familiar weapons. "Which one suited your fancy?" he asked Eleanara as she ambled over.

She smiled as her sight landed on the smallest weapon in the group. All the bladed and pronged weapons were housed in dark, leather wrapped, wooden sheathes and hers was no exception. She carefully extracted the compact blade from the rest of the weapons and opened it experimentally, sighing as it whispered quietly from the case, polished metal gleaming brightly. Testing, she tapped the tip with her finger and winced, sticking her finger in her mouth as a bead of blood pooled up. "I meant to do that," she mumbled in embarrassment as Gairen raised a brow at her.

He laughed and shook his head. "Of course you did."

"Oh! Weapons!" a new voice exclaimed excitedly as Eunhyuk bounced into view, dressed in the new clothes. Siwon followed behind him and the girls were easy to miss behind his taller frame.

Eagerly, the four looked over the finely crafted items before them and went through a similar process, though none of them pricked their finger in any way. Siwon seemed very satisfied with the heft of his maul and even more pleased, as Kharin was, that Tierne had thought to given them a strap to hand the heavy weapons from. Eunhyuk and summer were like kids with new toys as they finally got to handle real, sharpened sais and not the dull practice ones they'd had to make do with in the monastery. "Not inside," Gairen warned sharply as the pair looked about ready to spar.

They winced and grinned sheepishly before saluting him with the weapons in their hands and then sliding them back into the duel sheathes. The group looked back at the hallway as the sharply dressed and freshly washed Leeteuk and Kyuhyun finally appeared, just as excited as the rest about their weapons. Quickly, Eleanara snatched up her parcel of clothes and bolted for the back, not quite ready to be the one holding the others up.

While she was getting cleaned up, the others were making sure that everything was set to go. Gairen brought out the tray of travel rations he had made, carefully wrapped and portioned out so they would have less to worry about on the road. "As you've seen on the map, the next village is about three days from here on foot. Fairwinter," and he grinned at the name, "is near the base of the mountain range. From there on, things get a bit warmer, but they'll be able to direct you onward from there."

"Thank you, Gairen," Leeteuk smiled appreciatively, holding his hand out for the other man. Gairen grinned and accepted the gesture, making sure he didn't shake too hard.

"Just take care of yourselves out there," the larger man winked, catching them all in that statement. "And be careful," he warned again. "No more falling down mountain slopes," he chided, eyeing Kharin and Siwon carefully.

Kharin raised her hands up in surrender as Siwon looked briefly confused and then copied her example with a grin. "We promise," she assured him emphatically to the general amusement of the rest.

"I guess we should get ready to head out then," Leeteuk exclaimed, glancing around. His gaze traveled back to the hallway.

"We'll get her stuff," Kharin assured him as she snagged Summer and they went to gather the packs in their room.

"Come on, you," Siwon chuckled, grabbing Kyuhyun in a playful headlock and marching him towards their room.

"I'm coming, already," he muttered, laughter in his voice betraying that he wasn't really upset.

Eunhyuk grinned at Leeteuk as he darted off, dashing around the pair ahead of him in a burst of speed. "No fair," Leeteuk grinned, running after him, barely missing Siwon and Kyuhyun.

In the time it took them to sort out the packs, get everything stowed the way they wanted and returned the rooms to a semblance of order, Eleanara had joined the group and was as ready as they were to be on their way. A quick peek outside the shuttered window in their rooms showed that the snow had finally died down a bit and that it should be bearable. As a group, they hauled the packs to the dining area to say their final farewell to Gairen.

"Good luck," he simply stated, saluting them all cordially. As one, they bowed to him respectfully. He watched them wrestle into the packs, securing straps and shifting their new weapons around so that everything sat comfortably. They had the look of a group that generally knew what they were doing. Granted, they were young and he could tell they lacked experience, but the knowledge was there. There was also a camaraderie that they shared as each person looked over the next, making sure they had everything and that nothing was left behind. Leeteuk looked them all over one final time and then nodded, at which point he led the way out the door. It wasn't until the door had closed behind them and the new silence descended that he realized he was going to miss their youthful exuberance. With a sigh, Gairen glanced around the empty dining area and retreated to his private room behind the bar. He still had to get those rations for Vayna…


	10. Chapter 10

The rest of the first day out passed by uneventfully. No patrols were spotted on the horizon and the trail was empty except for them. Before full dark set in, they chose a spot off the path partially hidden in the trees. Leeteuk crafted a shelter for them again, which they helped to disguise with snow and debris. A watch order was established before they settled down for the night. Kharin took first watch, followed by Eunhyuk, Kyuhyun, Summer, Siwon, Eleanara and Leeteuk.

As she had been hoarding her power all day, Eleanara finally unbent enough to set up a watch light as she had done before. The expenditure was not nearly as trying as it had been before and she joined the rest in finishing off a ration. Due to his continuous use for most of the day, Eunhyuk had two and concluded that Gairen's was much better than the monastery's. As loyal as they were to Yoogin, none could find the heart to argue otherwise… Leeteuk remembered to leave a raised dais for Kyuhyun to set the fire on; at least until they went to sleep, and he made sure the watch had a seat to rest on.

Before long, the two large blankets were spread out and the sleeping rolls laid over those. Siwon and Kyuhyun opted to take the outermost edges, if only because they were more resistant to the cold. The others filled in the middle as they were wont to do. As the watch changed throughout the night, arrangements were altered several times as the temperatures dropped and individuals cuddled closer for the warmth. As morning approached, it was quite commonplace for limbs to drape over sleeping bodies, casual and unconcerned.

Leeteuk was almost reluctant to wake them at all, since the group looked so peaceful and content sleeping under the shelter. Just this time, he wanted to let them sleep just a bit longer. Alertly, he sat down on the raised seat he had set up the night before and leaned forward to place a hand against the ground, listening. He closed his eyes to see if it would help him to 'see' better and so missed the shadow that passed over their shelter swiftly in the morning light. Yep. There were definitely patrols around, but he still couldn't tell where they were clearly. One was definitely behind them, in the direction of Moorhall and another was somewhere up ahead.

Thoughtfully, he opened his eyes and leaned back, pensive. Why were there so many patrols in this area? It wasn't as if it had anything important here… One small village in the middle of nowhere was nothing to be overly worried about and he doubted Fairwinter was anything special in that regard either. Was it possible they were looking for the monastery? He paled as the next thought sent a chill through him. Could Enryhll know the elementalists had been reborn? Leeteuk jumped as hands slid over his eyes and for a brief instant, he panicked. Immediately, he shoved the rock stool back into the earth to slide out from the other's grip and snagged his staff as he rolled to his feet in a flurry of snow.

"Some watch you're keeping," Siwon laughed nervously. He had meant it as a joke but Leeteuk's reaction made it anything but funny.

His heart hammered painfully in his chest as he realized it had been a false alarm. He forced a laugh and made himself relax as he leaned on the staff in as casual a manner as he could. "I was listening…just not for you guys," he explained haltingly, searching for an explanation that wasn't as embarrassing as him not paying attention. Forcefully, he pushed the thoughts aside and walked over to Siwon who eyed him curiously but shrugged after a moment.

"So what's the outlook this morning?" Eunhyuk called as he stood up in the shelter, giving Kharin and Eleanara a hand up distractedly.

Grateful for the change of subject, he slapped Siwon on the shoulder, a reassuring gesture, and took a deep breath. "From what I can tell, there are two patrols in the area. One behind us and one somewhere ahead of us. I can't be sure of their distance though," he shrugged.

"Do you think it's possible they're regular patrols?" Kyuhyun asked, disgruntled with the idea of being flanked.

Kharin scoffed at the idea as she pushed her braided hair back over her shoulder in a typical gesture. "If Marcus's reaction was anything to go by, not likely."

"I guess that means we'll just have to be extra careful then," Siwon pointed out, using Kharin's shoulder as a prop to lean on as he nodded at her.

"Aren't we always?" she asked, leaning back towards him and offsetting his balance so he took a step back, an amused grin on his face.

"If Eunhyuk's been wiping the trail behind us, I don't see why the patrol near the village would even know we're here," Eleanara started. "Unless…they're on their way back." Her face fell at the lousy thought and then took a deep breath.

"Let's deal with that if it happens," Leeteuk mentioned, moving over to pat her arm comfortingly. The gesture made her smile and took away some of the tension she had automatically adopted.

Summer looked at Kyuhyun beseechingly, a tin cup in her hand. "Were you going to heat the water this morning?"

"Ah, why not?" he shrugged, glancing over at Siwon who still carried the pot they used. The water elementalist filled it before handing it off and Kyuhyun used the same method he had for melting the ice in the waterskins, but with more power behind it. It did not take long for the water to steam and boil softly in the cold morning air. Abruptly, he removed the hand heating the water with an audible hiss of pain and all eyes turned to him, on alert.

Eleanara was quick to respond to that sound and hurried over to his side, mindful of the hot water pot and nudging past Summer who had moved closer to see as well. "What happened?" she asked intently, reaching for the hand he was still shaking out.

"I burned myself," he blurted in astonishment, clearly surprised that was a possibility.

Eleanara managed to trap the flailing hand gently and held it still when he frowned at her. She noticed the red mark and the beginnings of a heat blister on his palm and she chided softly, "Just because you're a fire elementalist doesn't mean you're immune to heat. No more than I'm immune to light," she pointed at the sun and then her reddish nose and cheeks where the light had burned her the other day.

The remark startled him and then he laughed and smirked as he shook his head. "Go figure. Ow!" he yelped as she covered his palm gently with her own and before he could complain about it, she removed her hand to show that his was completely healed.

"There," she smiled, letting go of his hand and nodding in satisfaction. Her task done, she stepped back and let Summer take the spot she had displaced her from.

While Kyuhyun was still thinking about the new truth he had to deal with, he went ahead and poured Summer a cup of hot water, offering the others some as well. Siwon accepted a cup and ruffled his hair for good measure, making the younger man frown and attempt to fix it with his free hand. Leeteuk assisted him with that first and then proffered his cup in turn. Kyuhyun easily poured another cup and then noticed a similar coloration on Leeteuk's face. "You should get Eleanara to look at your burn too," he added uncertainly, gesturing at his own face as a mirror for the other man's.

Leeteuk pressed gently on his nose and cheeks and winced when the flesh proved to be quite tender. "I might at that," he smiled, nodding in thanks.

"The sunburn is worse for those in front," Eunhyuk added, gesturing at his and Kharin's relatively unblemished skin. They had the bodies of those in front to block the worst of the glare. "That or our constitution's just better," he teased gently, before he hauled his pack out of the shelter.

The others were retrieving their packs and replacing sleeping rolls in the meantime. Siwon retrieved and folded the waterproofed blankets and then settled himself down to eat. Leeteuk deconstructed the shelter before he approached Eleanara about taking care of his sunburn, amused she had not yet done so for herself. Kyuhyun dumped the rest of the hot water and returned the pot to Siwon, unsure if he felt betrayed or just uncertain about being burned by it. Siwon just laughed and handed him a ration instead. "Don't worry about it too much. We're all still learning the ins and outs of this elemental thing," he shrugged, unconcerned by the complications that may yet arise.

"Easy for you to say. You might get wet," Kyuhyun muttered, annoyed by the assurance, but he did take the ration that was offered.

The simple fare was quick and easy, and they were finished with the site taken care of in under an hour from waking. Eleanara had finally taken care of both her and Leeteuk's sunburns and with the rest had strapped into their packs, still marveling at the feel of healing herself. Tentatively, she kept touching her nose just to make sure and giggled at herself.

"You laugh now," Summer mentioned in a conspiratorial tone as she walked past, "but gods help you if you break a bone." She shuddered at the memory of being healed when she had fractured her ankle and laughed at Eleanara's wide-eyed expression.

"Don't scare her like that, Summer," Siwon chided as he came up behind her and rested his chin on the top of Eleanara's head. She giggled and ducked out from under him, hurrying up near the front where Leeteuk was reading the earth again, kneeling with his hand placed against the ground. "Well. I guess it's time to move out," he grinned, snagging both Summer and Kyuhyun and propelling them forward.

Uncertainly, Eunhyuk peered up the path behind them, his expression intense as he listened to the wind. Kharin leaned closer in an attempt to try and hear too, but laughed and danced away when he poked her in the side with a grin on his face. "Nothing's there," he assured her, gesturing her to follow the group too. "But I'll let you know if there is," he winked, punching her lightly in the shoulder.

"You better," she remarked, feinting back at him. She laughed when he flinched at the mock punch and then dropped her hands to move closer to him again. His relaxed smile was enough to know that even though they messed with each other, they were still on good terms.

The morning moved steadily onward with the group being unusually quiet. With the real threat of two patrols in the area, they were extra alert and very observant. Leeteuk paused fairly often to listen and Eunhyuk took the opportunity to do the same in the rear. It was getting to be about time for them to call a break again when both Leeteuk and Eunhyuk stopped altogether. Leeteuk grabbed Eleanara's hand and pulled her after him to the side of the road where he forced an inclined trench in the ground large enough to hold them all.

"Hurry," he waved urgently, helping Eleanara in first and then waiting for the rest to slide their bodies into the hiding place before he backed in and drew the ceiling down carefully, leaving them a slit to peek through.

"Was it a patrol?" Kyuhyun hissed uncertainly.

"I think so," Leeteuk nodded, glancing over at Eunhyuk who nodded in agreement. He reached over and grabbed Kharin's hand, as much to give reassurance as to ask for it himself.

She squeezed his hand back and watched intently as figures eventually filed into view. There were about fifteen figures in all, dressed in similar white overcoats so there was no telling what sort of armor they might have beneath it. On each coat however, was the unmistakable symbol that Summer wore around her neck…the embodiment of all six elements. Enryhll. The soldiers all wore longswords at their hips and a handful carried halberds, the long weapons bobbing menacingly in their midst. The party paused when they came upon the churned snow in the middle of the path and the group in hiding groaned. Their tracks… The patrol drew their longswords and the first set of five began to approach their hiding place.

"I don't think that's a friendly group," Kyuhyun murmured tensely.

"I think you're right," Leeteuk muttered bleakly.

"Are we fighting?" Kharin asked as she used her free hand to feel for her mace.

"Looks like it," Siwon stated grimly, reaching for his maul.

Eleanara squeezed Leeteuk's hand and murmured, "On your mark." They heard the soft whisper of weapons being drawn and they could see Summer ready with her sais.

"Here goes," Leeteuk murmured breathlessly as the group continued to move closer to their hideout cautiously. When they were about five feet away, he opened the top of the shelter like a fan and shoved the ground in front of him up and out, throwing the men in front away from them and into the men behind them.

Mayhem ensued as the patrol immediately retaliated, charging the newly emerged party, undaunted by their sudden attack. Among the fastest in the group, Eunhyuk darted forward and blinded the front line attackers with a haze of wind driven snow. He attacked first and bounded back upon having his sai deflected by whatever was underneath the coat. Siwon knocked the man directly in front of him back with a massive swing of the maul, the heavy head connecting with something fairly solid underneath and then following through as the armor gave and the figure crumpled. Kharin delivered a savage blow to the head of the man in front of her and she watched in horrified amazement as blood splattered the snow, the light helmet no match for her attack. She swallowed her horror and stood beside Siwon, ready for the next attacker.

Leeteuk tripped the nearest attacker and then trapped him with an earth blanket as he pulled the rock over his lower body, rooting him in place. He blocked out the sounds of the screams and focused on keeping those near him alive. He watched as Summer sparred fiercely with one of the sword wielders, deflecting the heavy attacks with some difficulty. Savagely, he opened a fissure in the ground so the attacker would stumble, giving her just enough opening to thrust the sai through his throat, one of the only unarmored places on his person. He coughed up blood on her as his breath wheezed through the punctured windpipe and she kicked him back, shock on her face.

"Summer!" Eleanara called sharply, snagging the other woman's arm and dragging her back to give her time to recover, her dagger at the ready in case anyone pursued.

Kyuhyun was making his way around behind the distracted attacking party, trying to find a clear shot where he wouldn't endanger his teammates. He had managed to work himself to the side that the patrol had come from originally which is why he was the first to notice the larger patrol coming from up the mountain. "Behind!" he cried, throwing a massive fireball at the three men nearest him and furthest from the others. The ground beneath them exploded as the ball of fire connected, badly burning them in the process and sending shrapnel in every direction, tearing through armor and bone alike. Some of the pieces pelted Siwon and Kharin, ripping their coats and scarring their faces before they were able to look away in time to protect their eyes. Leeteuk had managed to pull up a defensive wall of rock and Eunhyuk had been behind enough bodies but he was nearest the oncoming patrol. While he harried them with another barrage of wind and debris, the others were trying to recover themselves to meet the new threat.

Kyuhyun was assailed by the familiar stench of burning flesh and he heaved reactively, having to turn away from the torn and charred bodies before him. They had been men before but now those three were unrecognizable… "Snap out of it!" Leeteuk yelled into his ear as he hauled him back to the wall he had raised. "Kharin!" he yelled, pointing at the new group coming down the path. He made sure Kyuhyun was okay before he rushed up beside Siwon and nodded at the nine that were left from the original party. "Do you think they can swim?" he asked, not waiting to see if Siwon understood what he was talking about before he tore a hole open under the soldiers so that they tumbled in. Behind him, he felt Summer cancelling out some of his strength, moderating what he was doing.

The hole was shallower than he intended but in the next instant it was full of freezing cold water and eight of the nine men were chest deep in it. They dropped their weapons in a blatant attempt to get out. The ninth, a halberdier, was charging them blindly, battle fury taking him over. Before they had time to react, a sai came whistling end over end and stabbed him through the eye. His momentum carried his body forward though the halberd dropped from unresponsive hands and clattered softy in the trampled snow. Pained screams from the mountain path drew their attention.

Kharin sent a shadow blade through the midst of them, cutting a clean line through the center and slicing straight through at least five of them at the waist. They fell over into two pieces and the men around them lost it. In a frenzy, they charged the group, heedless of the archers behind them. "Watch out!" Eleanara shrieked as she was the first to see the arc of arrows streaming their way. The first round fell short, and one even caught one of their allies as they charged, but another volley followed shortly after, thudding into the ground around them with alarming speed. "Shield!" she cried, watching as the arrows bounced off the invisible dome she was able to lift up. It would do nothing for the warriors charging them but at least they wouldn't have to worry about archers anymore.

"Leeteuk! Give me a wall!" Kyuhyun snarled, already hurling a fireball at the oncoming mob.

Desperately, Leeteuk hurried to comply, reaching for the space in front of Eunhyuk and Kharin and heaving the ground up. The group threw themselves to the ground as the explosion rocked the earth in front of them, sending shrapnel and pieces of men flying over the wall, hitting the defenders and covering them in debris and gore. The screams of the dying and the panicked carried over to them and the sound might well have driven them mad if a more terrifying one hadn't arrived.

With an earsplitting roar, the snow wyrm plummeted to the earth and crashed into the ground with such force that he threw any humans still standing to the ground and jostled all the rest. Savagely, he snapped and clawed at the now fleeing soldiers, his talons and teeth shortly covered in red. The group of elementalists looked up over the wall in wide-eyed terror at a creature from nightmare. What was a snow wyrm doing less than fifty feet from them…? They didn't exist!

The massive wyrm eyed the small group speculatively, marking the five it could see and recalled the two hiding behind the wall. Having cleared the immediate area of further distractions, it was oblivious to the remnants of the patrols, some of who were crawling weakly under foot, desperately trying to get away. More lives were snuffed out carelessly when it stepped forward and, very deliberately, destroyed the low wall hiding the final two.

Kharin and Eunhyuk screamed in sheer terror as the massive talons sliced through the barrier in front of them, less than five feet away. It dragged its claws back, tearing deep rivets in the ground before it reared its head back, preparing to strike. The pair immediately in front of him scrambled madly to get out of the way, hands and feet sliding on the trampled snow that provided very little purchase.

"Watch out!" Leeteuk warned, his voice cracking. At the same time, Eunhyuk pointed an open hand at Kharin and pushed. A blast of wind shoved her forcefully to the side while the resulting backlash rolled him awkwardly in the opposite direction, closer to the pool of water Siwon and Leeteuk had created only a few moments ago. In the resulting space they had just occupied, the massive draconic head bit down, tearing up a large chunk of the ground and shattering it effortlessly, raining fragments down on them.

Shards bounced harmlessly around both Kharin and Eunhyuk, the invisible barriers surrounding them seamlessly. A lull settled upon the opposing forces briefly before the fight broke out anew.

A terrible crashing sound rammed through the forest to the right where the long tail swept around swiftly, obliterating the trees in its path. Leeteuk didn't even pause to think. He threw up a wall in front of them before grabbing both Summer and Eleanara by the arm and dragging them down as he created a shallow trench under them. Desperately, he extended the self-made trench so that both Siwon and Kyuhyun tumbled into it as the tail slid over them harmlessly, terrible and unstoppable. There was nothing he could do about the other two and he hated himself for it.

Eunhyuk had time enough to react, spying the pool of water and deciding in an instant. Swiftly, he raced for it, using the wind to throw himself at the pool, over a handful of weakly struggling patrolmen, before the tail could reach him. The shock of the water took his breath away as he was completely submerged, the enclosure going dark as the tail swept across, smearing the unfortunate few men who were too slow to get out entirely or duck under. The water turned red around him as he burst from it, gasping and shivering instantly. He couldn't see what had happened to Kharin around the tail and he felt himself panic. She was there by herself…

Kharin had to move closer to the wyrm to avoid the tail and it followed her as she came to a stop before it. Terrified, she lashed out, calling a rain of shadow needles that lanced along its serpentine body, mostly deflecting off the hardened scales. Annoyed, it shook itself roughly, the motion sending the tail sliding back the way it had come.

The other six ducked back into hiding, emerging as soon as the danger was past. "Kharin!" Eunhyuk screamed, the first to react as he hauled himself from the water, his hands responding slowly. The five in the trenches clambered out hurriedly, their hearts hammering in their chests and fear in their eyes.

Nearly paralyzed by the ineffectiveness of her attack with the wyrm looming above her, she was cast in darkness by its shadow. She screamed and cowered before it, overwhelmed by fear as the massive head struck down at her. Her gaze was fixed on the shadows at her feet, seemingly entranced so that she did not see it.

"NO!" came the collective scream of denial as they wyrm took another bite out of the ground where Kharin had been. There was no sign of the elementalist anywhere.

"Kharin!" Eunhyuk cried again, a raw and primal sound. In helpless rage, he roared, reaching with his power to do something… A furious wind howled from behind him, taking with it the body of water he had taken refuge in. Layer by layer of water peeled off as dangerously sharp fragments pelted past him and sprayed against the wyrm, coloring it red and embedding fragments of debris into its body. The power of the wind froze his hair in place and his clothes to his body in turn, but Eunhyuk was oblivious, focused only on hurting the wyrm before him.

It snarled in anger, its vision hazed over by the bloody water and debris lodged in the right eye. The earth trembled as it clawed forward, fighting through the wind easily. It had nearly reached the wind elementalist before a water enshrouded maul flipped end over end towards its head. It had as much force as Siwon could muster behind it and it smashed perfectly into its left eye. An ear-splitting howl pierced the air as the eye was shattered, fragments of pale blue ice carried away by the wind, glistening in the light.

As it reeled back, a massive spire of earth rose beneath it, shattering against the tough belly but distracting it further. The furious and half-blinded wyrm turned and snapped at the new attackers. Kyuhyun was ready for it as he threw a massive fireball at it, catching it full in the mouth. A garbled cry assaulted their ears as fangs and part of the elongated snout exploded in the attack.

Spastically, it writhed, the tail whipping about fiercely and raking debris along with it. A raised earth wall was shattered easily and it was only with the combined effort of Eleanara's barrier and multiple walls that it was halted, banging agitatedly against the invisible barrier. The force of the attack still managed to drive them back several steps, the light elementalist unable to keep the field stationary despite her best efforts. "Focus on the head," she yelled shrilly, aware that she could only buy them time back here. Her strength was useless for taking this monster down.

Kyuhyun renewed his attack on the creature, throwing more fireballs at it and taking out chunks of crystalline flesh from the body while Siwon added the power of his water to Eunhyuk's wind, wearing away at the hardened body in the fury of the ice storm. Leeteuk tried desperately to immobilize the creature, opening holes under the clawed feet and closing them again, only to watch in frustration as the wyrm tore the ground apart in freeing itself.

Assaulted by feelings of uselessness and loss, Summer stood with anger and fear warring on her face. She gasped when she noticed Eunhyuk's peril as he was now fully covered in ice, the clothes he wore and his hair frozen solid. He didn't even look as if he noticed it… "Eunhyuk!" she cried, reaching to quell the power.

He seemed surprised and exhausted as the power stopped responding to his demands. Unable to stop himself, his knees buckled and he fell forward, confused and broken. His power had not been enough and all that was left was the cold. In a haze, he watched the fire explode against the creature and steam rose up in its wake, billowing clouds wreathing it in mist.

It was only when she had managed to calm the fury of his wind power that she realized something else…the power of wind was still active in the wyrm. Carefully, she stared at it, ignoring the sound of its tail behind her and the maddened thrashing in front as it clawed for the elementalists that still harassed it. Finally, the pieces came together in her mind. "It's a construct!" she cried suddenly, almost delirious with exhilaration. The others seemed oblivious to her meaning but she had the power to unmake constructs. Intensely, she reached for the fibers of power that made up the creature and she pulled. Nothing happened at first as it was like pulling against a mountain, but at last, the outermost layer shimmered briefly, seeming to lose the cohesiveness it had held up until now.

A stone spear broke through the belly and then shattered as it solidified again, the tip lodged in the body. Kyuhyun's fire blew off larger chunks, wearing away at the massive structure and, emboldened by his success, moved forward angrily, calling a more sustained fire in front of him. As Eunhyuk had, he had lost all feeling and though the fire grew and ate away at the wyrm even more, causing the form to waver as it started to lose its solidity, it drove his companions back as well. A heat flush afflicted him swiftly as steam began to rise from his coat before it began to discolor as the intense heat started to overpower him too.

"Kyu!" Siwon and Leeteuk cried, unable to get close as the other man screamed in blind pain.

Summer blinked and shifted her attention to the conflagration he had called. It was massively beyond his control now and she immediately relinquished her unweaving to quench the fire. She sagged at the effort it took, breathing hard as the fire extinguished, the cold more intense for its being gone. In horror, she watched Kyuhyun slump backwards, seemingly unconscious and badly burned, his face covered in blisters. Unable to rush to his side, she focused her gaze on the wyrm again and threw herself against the threads that held it together, tearing at it furiously.

The wyrm began to lose strength faster now, but it continued to flail, claws digging ineffectively in the ground and the tail pounded against the shield Eleanara maintained. She was hunched over with the effort needed to keep it up. Leeteuk tried to renew his assault but the earth only rose up halfway to the massive body and stopped before he gasped and collapsed. He had reached his limit…

Siwon continued to wear at it, throwing wave after wave at its head, keeping it unfocused and disoriented. He could tell they were running out of time and none of them still standing had strength enough to finish the creature. Summer was trying but it was such a large construct… He hurled another wave at it defiantly and had to pause to take a breath. When he did, a fierce battle cry echoed over the decimated ground and three shadow blades flew at it in quick succession, slicing through the wavering flesh. One severed the left forelimb and the body crashed to the ground heavily, making those still standing stumble. The other two blades sliced through its neck and chest.

"Die!" Kharin snarled, throwing more shadow blades at it. From the other side of Leeteuk on the side of the path that was still untouched, she hurried from a copse of trees that were still standing serenely, their center shrouded in shadow. Another volley tore through the neck and chest again and with one final, wrenching effort, the creatures roar was abruptly ended as the neck was severed. As the frozen head fell forward, the power that held the construct together dispersed and it turned to snow in the blink of an eye, drifting away in the wind as if it had never been.

Kharin fell to her hands and knees, exhausted and confused. Silent tears wet her cheeks as the survivors looked around dazedly, as confused by her reappearance as she was.

From where he lay on the ground, Eunhyuk felt tears fill his eyes and trail down his cheeks. Relief and joy were the only things he could muster as he looked at the shadow elementalist, frozen eyelashes blinking slowly. "Kharin," he croaked, a smile coming to his face, though he was too cold to shiver and too weak to push himself up.

Siwon shuffled over to Eleanara and picked her up under the arms. She looked at him, briefly confused before he prompted her to move towards the unconscious Kyuhyun. Summer was hovering next to him in a state of near panic as she held his hand tenderly. "Help him," she pleaded, thoroughly unnerved by the sight of the badly burned man.

The broken cry pulled at Eleanara's heart so that she had to take a deep a breath as she knelt next to his still body. She could see for herself that the heat had burned him very badly indeed and the exposed skin was an angry red color and much inflamed with blisters, so much so that she couldn't have opened his eyes if she wanted to. His winter coat had been charred, the outer layer now a dingy black coloration. She set her jaw determinedly and placed her hand ever so lightly on top of his chest, trying to feel what needed attention first.

While she was taking care of that, Siwon was taking further stock of the situation as the most able person still standing. Kharin was struggling to stand and make her way slowly towards them; Eunhyuk was seemingly frozen in place and Leeteuk was crumpled nearby. Quickly, he roused Leeteuk who was drained and lethargic, but otherwise unharmed, and then gestured at the packs. The waking man nodded dazedly and headed to find the nearest one he could. As quickly as was possible, Siwon bypassed him to find another pack and tore the sleeping roll from it. With single-minded determination, he made his way over to Eunhyuk, rolled him into the sleeping roll and then awkwardly picked him up, holding him close and clenching his jaw against how cold he was even through the fabric. Carefully, he made his way back to the others with a glance back to see that Kharin was almost here.

Leeteuk stumbled over with another sleeping roll and laid it out so Siwon could lay the other man down. With the earth elementalist to watch over him, he returned to help Kharin, taking her arm and pulling it over his shoulder. "Glad you made it," he spoke quietly, the words forced as he was going on the dredges of his reserves now.

"Me too," she answered honestly, her voice low and tired.

Questions ran rampant through their minds but there was no time for that right now. The immediate danger was passed but both Eunhyuk and Kyuhyun had been badly injured and required immediate attention. Her hand still resting gently on his chest, Eleanara whispered hoarsely, "I have stabilized him, but if I do any more I'll be useless." They all knew what that meant and nodded to themselves as her face remained strangely impassive.

Leeteuk glanced over to see that Kyuhyun still looked bad off but the worst of the damage had been taken care of. "If you say he's stable, hold off for now," he decided, weary.

She looked uncertainly at Kyuhyun and then Summer who was still watching over him in concern. It was hard, but she forced herself to step away and pushed herself to her feet shakily. There was a pack nearby and she went to it to retrieve the waterskin before she returned to Summer. "Here. See if you can get him to drink some," she offered, knowing dehydration would be his greatest enemy now.

Summer accepted it uncertainly and nodded. Carefully, she tried to position him so she could pour some past his still blistered lips. Fortunately, he came around enough to manage that, though it was obvious he was still in considerable pain.

Eleanara turned to check on Eunhyuk who had Leeteuk and Kharin by his side, chaffing numb arms and trying to return heat to his body. What they would have given for one of Kyuhyun's fires just then. Eleanara enlisted Siwon to have him help her retrieve the rest of their sleeping rolls, the waterproof blankets and most notably a dry pair of clothes for Eunhyuk. Belatedly, she smacked her head and sighed before she looked back at the trio and set up a null-cold barrier around Eunhyuk. She could hear his teeth chattering from here, but that was a better sign than when he hadn't been. Hurriedly, she found Eunhyuk's pack and found the extra pair of clothes they had been given. When she stood up again, it was hard to look at both the injured men and she covered her face for just a second.

Siwon touched Eleanara's shoulder when she covered her eyes tiredly with her hand. It looked as if she was wiping away tears and he pulled her into a light embrace. "You're doing good," he assured her, handing her two more sleeping rolls and then hefting the waterproofed blankets up on his other shoulder.

She nodded quickly and then looked up at him, slightly uncomfortable. "You've got to get him out of those wet clothes."

"Of course," he agreed, the ghost of a mischievous smile on his face.

Siwon went to recruit Leeteuk's help with that and Kharin held up one of the waterproofed blankets for privacy while Eleanara made her way back to Kyuhyun. Awkwardly, she opened the one and laid it over the semi-conscious Kyuhyun who regarded her with pain filled eyes. The other she wrapped around Summer's shoulders, pressing her hand against her shoulder comfortingly as she did so. The neutralizer was using her lap as a pillow for the fire elementalist and he seemed slightly more comfortable for it.

When they gave her the all clear, Kharin lowered the blanket and Eunhyuk managed to give her just the slightest smile. Siwon was placing one of the dry sleeping rolls around him and when he seemed steady enough, Kharin stepped forward and wrapped the waterproofed blanket around him too, holding him firmly and wishing she could stop him from shivering. Leeteuk and Siwon nodded at each other and spread out the other blanket.

"Come on," Siwon gestured, moving the pair to the blanket and getting another sleeping roll ready. "You're not going to warm up fast enough that way." Kharin and Siwon assisted Eunhyuk to the large blanket and then flanked him on either side. Leeteuk laid the other sleeping roll over them and sat on the edge, unsure what to do now. There was nothing more he could do to help either of them…

Kharin had to bite her lip to keep from crying. He was shivering so hard so she tried to distract herself. "What made you think swimming was a good idea?"

"It l-l-looked l-l-like it mi-might be f-f-fun," he chattered, managing a smile for her.

She was glad that he was able to attempt levity and pulled him closer, chaffing his arm methodically. It was probably a good thing he couldn't focus on much of anything else as he would likely have been horrified to learn that his hair was considerably more red than normal…

Like an island, Eleanara stood between the two groups, aware that they were there, but since they had things as under control as they were going to get, given the circumstances, she was stunned by the devastation around them. Nothing of the original path remained. What littered it now was a morbid mix of displaced earth, debris and the littered bodies of the patrol that had to have been looking for them. In light of everything, she just felt empty…

In a daze, she turned back around and went to a pack nearby, she didn't know whose it was, snagged the waterskin and grabbed a handful of rations, at least one for each of them. She gave the waterskin to Leeteuk and he accepted it gratefully, before she set four rations down at his side. It took her a second to recall what else she was doing before she headed over to hand two more to Summer and then finally let herself collapse next to Leeteuk.

Leeteuk watched her with some concern. She was still ambulatory which was saying something, and she had taken all the injuries quite well, but he wasn't sure she wasn't going into some sort of shock. Not that he could blame her, or any of them for that matter, as a glance around showed mostly expressionless faces overall. He took a sip of water and handed the skin to Eleanara. To her credit, she reacted well to that and he smiled when she began eating. Whatever Kharin had told her must have stuck since he wasn't the slightest bit hungry and he doubted she was either.

In the aftermath of the battle, the day didn't seem quite so bright and cheerful anymore, though the sun still shone brightly. It did not take long for all remnants of the battle high to wear off and true exhaustion to set in. One by one, they drifted to sleep. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the day or that there was carnage all around them. It didn't matter that some of them were still sitting up or that the one had finally stopped shivering. Sleep claimed them, leaving them utterly helpless. When a small party found them unconscious in the middle of the decimated area, they were completely unaware of anything at all.


	11. Chapter 11

It was dark when Leeteuk first woke in a dimly lit enclosure, more warm than he had been the last time he was conscious. Confusion washed over him as he placed a hand on his face, running the fingers under the reddish brown bangs as he struggled to remember where he was and what had happened last. Thoughts were slow to form in his mind and he was startled when a new voice interrupted his attempts at piecing the puzzle together.

"Awake are you?" the vaguely familiar voice asked softly from nearby.

Panic washed over Leeteuk for just an instant before he hauled himself up and found himself looking at Marcus Frostbiter. The Chieftain of Moorhall regarded him evenly, nursing a bandaged forearm and appearing a bit more haggard than the last time he had seen him. "What…?" Leeteuk struggled to ask the questions that came into his head all at once and the other man gestured for him to slow down.

"Easy now. Just take a breath first and go ahead and realize that you're safe," he stated bluntly, gesturing at his person and the body next to his in the low tent.

Uncertainly, the earth elementalist took stock of the situation, looking down first to find that Eleanara was sleeping in the roll beside him, peaceful and serene in the dim light. Their coats were gone but they had apparently been changed into a fresh pair of clothes as the ones they now wore had none of the marks of combat that should have been present. With a start, he realized that both their amulets were visible, laying on top of the shirt, blatantly obvious. His gaze fell to his own, swinging gently against the fabric of the shirt, and he caught hold of it softly, looking up to meet Marcus's gaze uncertainly.

Surprisingly, Marcus chuckled, an action that prompted him to cough, which he hurriedly tried to stifle as Eleanara began to stir. "We thought it best not to split you up from how we found you," he explained softly, his gaze surprisingly gentle. "And yes, we're aware of what you are."

Leeteuk reached out and placed his hand on Eleanara's. At the touch, she turned over onto her side and grasped his hand lightly with her other hand, smiling softly in her sleep. He regarded her for a moment more before he looked up at Marcus again, the words slowly sinking in. "What happened? Why are you even here?" he asked instead, side-stepping the subject.

The Chieftain shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. "Moorhall was destroyed," he finally explained quietly. His hand came up and fell in a helpless gesture. "Part of the village was gone trying to find the avalanche you spoke of, but the others weren't so fortunate. We are a hardy people, but after such an attack…by such a creature…"

Worry flickered to life in Leeteuk's eyes as it did not sound as if they were concerned by something as simple as the patrols they had faced down. Already dreading the answer, he had to ask, "And what was it that attacked you?"

Marcus winced at the memory and he ground his teeth briefly in an attempt to find the words he wanted. At last, he shook his head and stated, "Some sort of wyrm. A creature from myth really." It was easy to see that disbelief still plagued him.

Leeteuk closed his eyes regretfully and he covered his face with his free hand. "The snow wyrm…" He laughed bitterly and when next he looked at Marcus, his gaze was haunted. "It was Enrhyll's construct," he explained quietly, vaguely recalling what Summer had said about it. "We…we dispelled it," he murmured slowly, the nightmare of that battle and the one before it still fresh and painful in his mind. Quickly, he shook his head and looked around again. There were really only the three of them in the tent. "How are the others?" he asked, a sudden need to see them creeping upon him.

"I'll show you in a minute," he offered, reaching for a slightly different looking waterskin first. "Drink. You probably need it," Marcus stated, leaning forward so the other man wouldn't have to reach quite so far.

Leeteuk took it uncertainly, but then nodded and took a large gulp too hastily, spilling some on his person. "Ahh…" he sighed, wiping his mouth quickly. Marcus simply regarded him evenly and waited for him to finish before he smiled. "Thank you," the young man smiled graciously, handing the waterskin back, mostly empty. "The others?" he asked again, insistent but calm.

"Easy lad. They're resting like you were," the Chieftain answered with a nod towards Eleanara.

Carefully, Leeteuk retrieved his hand from Eleanara's, smiling when she curled further into a ball, and then stood up shakily. "I need to see them," he explained softly.

Marcus sighed but nodded and stood up, the tent almost too small for him. "Take the roll with you," he gestured first before holding open the tent flap. Leeteuk hurried to comply and wrapped the fabric around his shoulders, searching briefly for something for his feet. Soft slippers were set next to the open flap and he stepped into those before emerging into the snow filled evening. Leeteuk watched it fall, large flakes drifting slowly in the crisp cold air, mesmerizing and peaceful. He let his gaze adjust to the rest of his surroundings and saw there was an assortment of tents set up around a small fire that had one watchperson nearby. They were standing near the 'front' of the encampment. The watchperson was unfamiliar to Leeteuk, though they waved at him almost shyly.

"Do I know them?" he asked, uncertain if his memory was fuzzy or if he just didn't know.

"I doubt it, but since we found you, you have all become well known," Marcus replied, waving back at the watch.

"I see," Leeteuk murmured, uncomfortable with the thought. He let his gaze take in the rest of the circle of tents, noting that the one to his left was easily four times the size of the others.

"Come," Marcus distracted him. "Your friends are nearby." Gently, he guided Leeteuk over to the next tent to their right, a similar version of the one they had just emerged from.

Carefully, the smaller man pulled the flap back, peering into the dimly lit interior, a single candle the only luminescence. His eye fell upon Kharin, Eunhyuk and Siwon and then a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention to the figure sitting next to the doorway, wary and alert. "Vayna?" he asked, briefly startled by the woman's appearance. In the dim light he could see that she was not entirely unharmed either and he was intensely grateful that she had managed to survive the attack against the village.

"Aye," she nodded, glancing back at the other three, her posture the epitome of a defender. "They're just restin," she spoke softly, a certain sadness to her voice. They were so young to be caught in the middle of this and she was not sure, from what she had seen of them, that they were ready for the battles they would have to face…

Leeteuk stepped inside the tent to let the flap fall back into place so the cold wouldn't settle in. The three elementalists were lying close to how he had last seen them with Kharin still holding Eunhyuk close. A blanket covered most of them but there arms were resting above it and one of Eunhyuk's was draped over her waist while the other was pressed up against his chest. Siwon was comfortably curled on his side, just behind Eunhyuk and within easy touching distance. Leeteuk smiled in real joy at the sleeping figures, glad to see that they were alright and that Eunhyuk was finally resting comfortably, no longer shivering in the slightest. Apparently, they had also managed to clean the worst of the mess off of them all since his hair was no longer tinged red and the small wounds on Siwon and Kharin's faces had been tended to. With a parting nod to Vayna who tipped her head in return, he carefully backed out of the tent and carefully let the flap fall back into place.

He glanced up at the patient Marcus and swallowed. He was dreading the next tent for he remembered vividly what the occupants looked like… Still, he needed to see them. He had to make sure that they were okay. Determinedly, he steadied himself and with Marcus's comforting hand on his shoulder, he stepped over to the next tent. He stared at the cloth for a moment before he forced himself to slip inside quickly.

Immediately, a large figure directly to the left of the doorway moved quickly, reaching for a mace at his feet. He paused as soon as he realized who had stepped in the doorway and Tierne raised a brow at Leeteuk but then nodded to himself and leaned back, his eyes closed. Leeteuk felt his heart slow down gradually as he had not expected such a reaction, but it warmed him too, that they merited such a watch. He doubted it was because the villagers thought they were a threat to them… His gaze drifted from the blacksmith's face, slightly more burned than he recalled it being last time, to the brazier next to him. It hung quietly in a tripod and trickled a small but steady stream of smoke that floated up and pooled in the top of the tent before it slowly drained out of a small slit in the center. Apparently, it had been made with that purpose in mind.

That would explain why it was warmer in this tent than the other two and when he looked at Kyuhyun, he could understand why. The fire elementalist was still burned as Eleanara had not been able to heal him entirely at the time and while it looked bad, the skin still an angry red color and his lips cracked and blistered, he appeared to be resting easier. Someone had dressed him in a large white shirt that looked to be of a more delicate make than the travel clothes they had been wearing. Likely, it was softer and less rough on the overheated skin. A light blanket was the only thing covering him as anything heavier would have been an irritant. The blanket was pulled up to his chest with his arms lying peacefully atop it on either side of his body. Summer was curled next to him, not close enough to press against his body but she was gently holding his right hand tenderly in her own.

Leeteuk sighed and felt himself on the verge of tears as he felt tension uncoil inside of him, unaware that it had been there until it was gone. He took a shaky breath and wiped at his eyes self-consciously before he backed out, slipping through the tent flaps easily.

Marcus clapped him on the shoulder comfortingly, a steadying presence, and asked, "You good now?"

"Mm…" Leeteuk murmured softly after a brief pause and nodded. Distractedly, he rubbed his arms to shake the chill in the air and then allowed himself to be guided back to the tent he had been sleeping in. Marcus held the flap open for him and ushered him in so he could lay the roll out and lie back down again. He didn't say anything when it was closer to Eleanara than it had been the first time, though he couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips. "Sleep," Marcus urged, taking a seat in front of the doorway again.

Slowly, Leeteuk laid himself out inside the sleeping roll, his eyelids getting heavy. It was considerably warmer in the tent than it was outside and it was helping to make him drowsy again. Given that, he was not inclined to argue with Marcus's statement. He simply nodded and turned over onto his side, taking a moment to watch Eleanara sleep. She had pulled her hands back towards her chin and her face was blissfully serene, bereft of the emptiness he had seen mirrored in it not that long ago. Tenderly, he reached out to cover her smaller hands with his, a gentle warmth spreading through him when an unconscious smile crossed her face. At last, he allowed his eyes to close and felt himself fall forever into the serenity of sleep.

The general sounds of the camp waking roused the group of seven slowly, each taking their time in coming around at their own pace. Those beyond the interior of the tent were proficient and quiet while those within were watchful and attentive. Marcus paid close attention when Leeteuk and Eleanara woke slowly, awareness stealing over them quickly. The joy in their eyes at seeing the other person awake and alive was unveiled and pure, hands still lightly touching and completely accepting of that. Politely, he cleared his throat to remind them he was there and hid a smile when Eleanara at least looked surprised.

"Marcus?" she queried softly as she sat up, maintaining contact with Leeteuk's hand as she did so. "What…? Where-?" she started to ask as confusion set in, a flash of fear crossing her face as she couldn't pull the pieces together immediately.

Leeteuk was quick to comfort her, squeezing her hand reassuringly and placing his other hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. Marcus found us after the battle," he reminded gently, giving her a point of reference he hoped wouldn't be too overwhelming.

The words slowly sunk in and he could see the remembrance in her eyes, followed by a brief moment of panic. "Kyu!" she cried softly, immediately trying to get up as she recalled how badly he had been injured…and that she hadn't been able to heal him.

Reactively, Leeteuk grabbed her hand and pulled her back, "Wait!" He did not use much force to pull her but she was off balance already and fell back against his chest. Carefully, he held her to him as she went still and he could feel the rapid beat of her heart as he pressed her to him. "He's alright," he murmured softly, glancing up at Marcus who had seemed about to move to stop her too.

Eleanara paused and took a deep breath, able to remember now that she had stabilized him and that the rest had been okay as well. "The others?" she asked quietly, holding tight to the front of his shirt, needing the assurance as much as he had last night.

"They're alright," Marcus answered for the other man. "You can see them soon," he promised, reaching next to him for a tray of food that had been brought earlier this morning before they'd woken. "You need to eat first though. Don't worry. The others are being treated in much the same manner," he assured them as he got up to deposit the tray next to Leeteuk, a waterskin hanging from his hand under it as he set the food down.

Leeteuk nodded and helped Eleanara to sit down next to him before he pulled the tray onto their laps. "Here," he offered, giving her the waterskin first. She took it with reluctant acceptance and then with greater need as her own hunger and thirst settled in. He chuckled as he was beginning to feel the same effects.

In the next tent over, Siwon woke up first, eyes opening to see the back of Eunhyuk's head and the top of Kharin's. It was the same sight he'd fallen asleep too which was comforting but then he noticed the tent around them and he sat up, alarmed and confused as he noticed Vayna.

She could see the list of questions running through his head, could empathize really as she had been in similar situations herself in her younger more foolish years. Before he could get any of them out, she began, "You're safe. Let's start there."

Whatever he might have been about to say was quickly cut off by the no-nonsense reassurance. Still caught off-guard, he glanced around uncertainly a bit before focusing on the pair next to him. A quick touch to Eunhyuk's shoulder found him to be warm and not the near icicle he'd been the other day. Well that was a welcome relief. "Hyuk. Kharin," he spoke softly, trying to bring them to wakefulness slowly. A gentle shake on Eunhyuk's shoulder disturbed them both.

Slowly, the pair unfolded, tired eyes opening slowly. As green eyes met soft brown ones in the dim morning light, there was only relief and the haunting memories of the day before. The realization that anything was different had not settled in yet and as one, they embraced each other fiercely, intensely grateful for the presence of the other. Siwon shifted closer so that the side of his leg pressed against Eunhyuk's back and laid a hand on both their arms, a steady comforting presence. Kharin found one of his hands and gripped it tightly, as if by holding to him she could anchor herself to this moment and forget everything that had happened yesterday.

The sound of someone nearby alerted them that they weren't alone and the pair bolted upright, dislodging Siwon's hands, a flash of fear banished instantly as they were ready to defend themselves, panicked for one instant that somehow one of the patrols was still in the area. Relief flooded them immediately, leaving them breathless and shaking. Siwon hurried behind them and grabbed them both in the circle of his arms, the embrace steadying instead of restricting. "We're safe," he told them both, pressing their heads to his shoulders protectively. "It's over." He pressed his lips against the top of their heads and gently rocked them both as they relaxed further.

With consciousness came thought and the memories of the combat they had faced the day before. Kharin could not block the images from her mind and she mentally reeled from the savage imagery. The intense emotions she had felt washed over her anew and in an effort to block them out, she turned into Siwon's chest and hugged him as tightly as she could, burying her face in the fabric of his shirt as she started sobbing, unable to stop herself.

"Kharin?" Eunhyuk asked uncertainly as she cried. "It's okay," he assured her, not sure that it was but it was the only thing he could think to say just then. "It's alright," he said again as he wrapped his arm around both her and Siwon before pressing his lips against the top her head, trying to offer what relief he could. Unable to figure out what was wrong and with no idea how to fix it, Eunhyuk began to cry too as he gave voice to his own jumbled emotions.

Vayna regarded the group for a moment before she shrugged and reached around for the two trays of food she had. After the wreckage of the path she had seen yesterday, she figured they were entitled to a bit of time to come to terms with everything. She noticed Siwon looking at her over the tops of their heads, a lost expression on his face as he seemed close to tears too. Vayna nodded at him encouragingly. When she brought the trays over and set them next to the three, she pressed a hand to Siwon's shoulder. No amount of words she had could explain that it was okay, so she offered him what quiet strength she could. For now, it seemed as if it was enough as he pressed his cheek against the top of Eunhyuk's head and took a deep breath. Briefly, as he swallowed the lump in his throat, he had to wonder where they others were and how they were doing.

A general sense of pain woke an otherwise resting Kyuhyun and he groaned as consciousness claimed him. Swollen eyes opened slightly, mere slits in a face that hurt to move. Motion as his side made him pause as he couldn't be sure who was there and then nothing made sense as he saw Tierne hover over him. "Huh?" he croaked, his voice a broken whisper that hurt when air passed through it for more than breathing.

"Easy lad," Tierne cautioned, touching his shoulder ever so slightly. "Just take things nice and slow," he encouraged, settling back to let the boy come to terms with how he was right now.

Summer stirred at the sound of the strange voice and she released Kyuhyun's hand when she saw his face pinched with pain. "Kyu?" she asked softly, crawling closer to look over him, brushing her loose red hair back over her shoulder to keep it out of her and his face. Uncertainly, she traced the tip of his bangs back, just brushing her fingertips against his forehead and biting her lip when the action caused him to flinch. Bravely, she smiled for him, though tears stung her eyes as she saw how badly he was burned. It seemed like yesterday had been a bad dream before she was reminded very powerfully of the reality. "Hey," she started softly, pressing a hand lightly against the side of his head.

Through the slits of his eyes, he could see Summer smiling down at him and while everything ached, he managed the semblance of a smile. "Hey yourself," he whispered hoarsely, a painful cough wracking his form, sending sharp bolts of pain through his body.

"Easy. Easy," she cautioned, a trace of panic in her eyes.

"Here," Tierne offered, startling the young woman who hadn't even realized he was there.

She blinked a couple times and then focused on the waterskin he was holding out to her. "Th-thank you," she stammered, taking the container from him and settling back to assist Kyuhyun. "I'm sorry," she frowned as he winced when she helped to pick his head back up and into her lap so she could pour some water down his throat.

Swallowing hurt. He found that much out very quickly, but it felt better than the parchment dry feel that it had been. Weakly, he smiled when she dabbed some on his lips to wet the broken skin there. "Thanks," he murmured, the sound not quite so hoarse this time.

Tierne coughed softly and drew their focus for a moment. "Just take things slow, Kyuhyun. I don't know if you remember how it came to be, but you've been badly burned," he explained gently, an echo of understanding in his weathered eyes. His whole right arm and shoulder were wrapped in light gauze and his head has some minor burning on it too, the hair singed off where something had recently burned him.

"The wyrm?" he asked, seeking the answer from Summer.

She chewed her lip and nodded. "We got it." The comment caught Tierne's attention as he didn't know the details either.

"Good," he smirked bitterly, a look of disgust crossing his face. "No thanks to me…"

"No, no, no," Summer immediately started. "You did as much as the rest of us." He looked at her skeptically, a difficult feat when one lacked as much facial movement as he did. "It was a combined effort," she insisted stolidly.

"You must have done something fierce to put you where you are now," Tierne stated bluntly. "A campfire doesn't cause such damage…"

Abruptly, Kyuhyun felt his pulse race and his breathing increased slightly as he remembered the last moment before he had lost all sense of what was going on. A firestorm in front of him…the wyrm beyond still flailing…he couldn't control it… "Ahhh…" he cried weakly, attempting to ward off the imagined flames again.

"Kyu. Kyu," Summer murmured, calming, soothing, combing the side of his head methodically. "It's alright. There's nothing there," she urged. "Nothing there."

Tierne caught hold of one of the flailing hands and held firmly. The pain in his hand seemed to pull him back to the present and Tierne spoke softly, "There's no shame in fearing the flame. She is a fickle mistress," he intoned, marking his head where he had been burned, wincing at the still tender skin.

"I couldn't control it," Kyuhyun murmured, his voice strained and fearful. "I couldn't…"

"And it burned you," Tierne nodded, glancing at Summer for confirmation. She agreed reluctantly and looked away. The only reason he was alive was because she had managed to curtail the power he had called and even that had almost not been enough. "When you work with fire as long as I have, you will learn that is going to happen, whether you want it to or not," Tierne assured him solemnly. "And you can't always control how it's going to affect you."

Still not quite convinced, Kyuhyun merely gave a nod and then focused on Summer. He freed his hand from Tierne and reached up to Summer's face, gently wiping the tear from her cheek. "It'll be okay," he assured her, swallowing hard.

"Of course it will," she assured him, clasping the hand gently in hers. "Just wait a bit longer. Eleanara will fix you right up," she promised him, wondering where the light elementalist was. Was she awake yet? Distracted by the thought, she noticed the amulet on Kyuhyun's chest and blinked at it in confusion before she realized it looked odd because it was visible. Unconsciously, she reached down for her amulet and wasn't surprised when her fingers closed around it. Carefully, she looked up at Tierne and he nodded in acceptance.

"We found your party on our way to Fairwinter. Moorhall was destroyed," he explained seriously. "You are known to us," he assured them, "because only the Elementalists would be able to destroy the wyrm that attacked us."

They both froze at his explanation and then looked at each other. "Is the village alright?" Summer asked, afraid of the answer.

"Destroyed," Tierne stated with a shake to his head. "But most of us survived. Some better than others," he added with a very pointed look at Kyuhyun. "But here. Enough talk," he stated, standing up and retrieving the tray of food that was still near the door. "Eat first. You will need it after the fight the other day." Summer nodded and reached for the first item on the tray, debating what would be easiest for Kyuhyun to handle.

Outside, the rest of the village party moved about curiously. They continued to cast covert glances at the three tents that held the elementalists they had found in the broken site just up the path. None of them had known exactly what had happened but when they had seen the amulets around their necks, they could easily put two and two together. It was likely that the large scale destruction had been caused by the elementalists, though there were signs of another massive force that had been present. Nothing could be found other than the remains of the patrols and even those were mostly bits and pieces of what they had been. They had found one man trapped in rock who had been babbling about powers and a giant wyrm. He was clearly quite mad so they had put him out of his misery, but it was clear that the group they had sheltered were none other than the Elementalists reborn.

Eventually, one of them emerged from the first tent; the smallest of the group and the one they had attributed to being the light elementalist. She was followed quickly be the earth elementalist who hovered behind her protectively. Marcus emerged last and watched them go, a thoughtful expression on his face. When he caught them staring, he waved them on their way and then went to join them with the rest of the morning preparations. They would be moving out when the elementalists were ready, but given the other day, none of them were sure about when that might be.

"Slow down," Leeteuk stated before Eleanara ducked into the first tent. He almost bumped into her when she stopped suddenly, confused by the teary eyed, huddling group and not understanding what was wrong.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, suddenly afraid that she had missed something major the other day and that they were suffering for it now. Urgently, she moved to kneel in front of them, scanning them desperately with her eyes.

Leeteuk hurried next to her and caught her shoulders, gently restraining. "They're not hurt," he explained softly, looking over the group. He had made sure of that last night or he might well have been as concerned as her.

Vayna stood up and helped the pair to stand. "Just give them time. It's alright," she assured the younger woman with a firm hand on her shoulder. Carefully, she forced the young woman to look her in the eyes. "You can't heal this," she stated softly, seeing the need there. "Go help your other friend," she urged instead, remembering the fire elementalist. "He needs you now." Vayna looked at Leeteuk and waited for him to guide the other woman out, still plagued by doubt that she was missing something here.

"Come on," Leeteuk guided her, knowing Vayna was right and just as uncertain as Eleanara.

As the words sank in, Eleanara firmly took hold of herself and shook her head. "Kyu." Without Leeteuk's assistance, she moved to the other tent and stepped in softly, glancing around and taking in the presence of Summer and Tierne on either side of Kyuhyun. She did not miss the hope in Kyuhyun's eyes that she would be able to make the pain go away.

Summer felt a leap of joy that Eleanara had finally arrived and then a flash of resentment that she hadn't come sooner. With an effort, she banished the unkind thought, acknowledging that none of them were in great condition after yesterday. She accepted the other woman's hand as she hurried to kneel beside them, reaching for Kyuhyun's hand with her other free one.

"I'm sorry," Eleanara apologized profusely, tears already starting to sting her eyes. "I'm sorry." She hated that he had been in pain this whole time because she had not been able to heal him yesterday. Tenderly, she held his hand to her chest and closed her eyes, feeling what she had missed the other day and fighting the urge to cry. Still holding both their hands, she reached for her power and felt it answer, tendrils seeking the damage still present in Kyuhyun's body.

Immediately, Kyuhyun felt the power of her healing ability as it flowed through him slowly, mending the hurts that were there and alleviating the pain that had plagued him since he woke. Before their eyes, the red flesh returned to the pale complexion it had been as lips healed over and his eyes opened fully, free of pain. He sighed in relief and gripped Eleanara's hand in gratitude. He felt a strong hand pat his healed shoulder and he looked up at Tierne who smiled at him knowingly.

"Just remember what I told you, lad," he nodded, glancing at the light elementalist with a certain reverence.

He was about to leave when Kyuhyun sat up and stalled him. "Wait." He looked over at Eleanara and pushed her hand towards the blacksmith. "Him too," he stated simply, meeting her gaze evenly.

Eleanara met that gaze and blinked slowly. She nodded once, a small smile on her face before she stood up, using Kyuhyun's support. She looked askance at Tierne who regarded her evenly. Not distracted by the greater need of her friends, she could see that he had been injured in the attack on Moorhall as well. Another pang of guilt struck her and she reached out to place her tiny hand on his massive arm.

Tierne was pleasantly surprised by the slow spread of gentle warmth that came from the spot where she was touching him. It traveled up his arm and then blossomed across his chest and through the rest of his body, mending the hurts that he had been carrying since Moorhall. The smithy had caught fire when the wyrm had destroyed his home and while he had been able to hide in the cellar nearly all of them had, it had been a struggle to get out before that door had burned through too. As they had all seen, he did not escape unscathed.

She removed her hand slowly, taking note of the extent of his injuries and wondering idly if the others were as hurt. Tierne surprised her when he placed his hand on top of her head and smiled warmly. "Thank you." Without another word, he stepped out of the tent, already unwinding the gauze on his arm and touching the mended bald spot on his head. A pity his hair didn't regrow there too.

Leeteuk moved an arm around Eleanara's shoulders and pulled her close before smiling down at the other two. "Good morning," he stated simply, at which they all started laughing nervously. If it was slightly hysterical, no one was there to tell them otherwise.


	12. Chapter 12

The day progressed slowly for the elementalists, but eventually, they found themselves in the large tent that was at the center of the ring still standing. It was Marcus's but he had been using it for the wounded as they travelled down the mountain. Cots were spread everywhere, most of which were now empty, thanks to Eleanara's offer of assistance. After healing Tierne, she had sought out Marcus and asked if she would be allowed to heal the injured. He had debated for a moment but had agreed largely because he had a couple that were in critical condition and he worried about them making it to Fairwinter at all. The entire village was making their way down and he refused to leave anyone behind so they had carried their injured thus far, hoping they would last until they reached civilization again.

In truth, she was only too glad to help as that way she didn't have to think about anything else except the next person who needed assistance. Once they were done though, all that was left were her thoughts and the quiet of the tent as she sat on one of the empty cots, drained and tired. Leeteuk brought her a bowl of stew and some hot tea, both of which she had consumed by rote, before they were joined first by Summer and Kyuhyun and then by Kharin, Eunhyuk and Siwon. Surprisingly, Vayna remained close at hand, hovering with a protective eye towards Kharin. Marcus was the last to arrive and he gestured for them to all have a seat. It was no surprise to him that they gravitated towards each other almost instantly. He watched as Vayna took a seat behind them, a glance to the tent flap confirming that no one else was coming.

"I am honestly glad to see that you are all up and about," he spoke sincerely, his eyes touching each of them, approval there as he noted their layout. Siwon had joined Eleanara and Leeteuk on the cot they shared while the rest took to the floor directly in front of them, using their legs and the cot as a back rest. Summer was still near Kyuhyun, both of whom had taken a seat in front of Eleanara and Leeteuk while Kharin was holding to Eunhyuk's arm, the pair sitting nearest Siwon.

Leeteuk spoke for all of them. "Thank you for your hospitality. Especially in light of what you told us." All of their faces fell as they paid silent homage to those lost in the attack. Gairen had been one of the few who had not made it out, caught in the back of the inn and unable to seek safety in time. Drell had been one of the severely wounded but Eleanara had healed him, to Vayna's relief.

"We would have done the same for any other," Marcus responded honestly, without hesitation. "What I am still unsure on, is what happened yesterday?" He regarded them evenly, aware that they were but mere children pushed into the world with a task that was very unfair to ask anyone to fulfill.

"We fought a battle," Kyuhyun muttered uncharitably and Marcus favored him with a nonplussed look. The young man had the grace to flush and duck his head even as Summer nudged him firmly with her elbow.

"Tierne said you were all decent with the weapons he gave you, but I can see it in your eyes, little ones. Battle was not what you were expecting, was it?" he asked softy, prodding gently. Over the night, while the elementalists had slept, he had conversed with both Vayna and Tierne, as well as some of the more experienced warriors and they had all agreed it would be wise to have them acknowledge the nature of their power. As Marcus looked over the group, he could see they were holding up decently, at least outwardly, but there was this look in their eyes and a wariness to them that spoke of less physical troubles. He need only look at Eleanara and Kharin to see that…

At his words, the reality of what they had experienced only yesterday slid back into their minds, insidious and unstoppable. He watched the memories wash over them, noting their expressions in the safety he had provided here, where nothing else could distract them from facing that truth.

"It was horrible…" Kharin murmured softly, a distant look on her pale white face. For a second, she wasn't sure if she was talking about the battle alone or that strange space she had fallen into when the wyrm had attacked her. "I still see them in my mind, when I close my eyes… Nameless faces screaming at me and falling apart…literally…when I fight them. I want them to go away," she cried softly as Eunhyuk pulled her to him and held her close, wishing he could shield her from the nightmare she was caught in. "I don't want to kill anymore," she admitted quietly, her voice thick with unshed tears and with just a hint of defeat in her tone.

Her quiet admission shook the others, painfully aware of their own feelings in this matter. As the others grappled with the images her words had called to mind, Kyuhyun reached over and placed a hand on Kharin's leg, steadying and firm. When she met his eyes, she saw understanding there and for the first time, they both recognized how terrible their gifts could be. "I never thought…I never imagined how it would feel to burn," he admitted slowly, his voice tense as he remembered the pain… His memories of the combat were bad, yes, but he just remembered laying there, his head on Summer's lap. He had wondered, even after Eleanara had stabilized him, if maybe it would have been better to die than to have to keep taking one painful breath after the next, unsure when it would cease.

All those men he had killed with the rampant use of his ability…he wondered how they felt as they died. He vividly recalled the burnt and broken remains of people flying through the air…the overwhelming stench. It was easy to push all of that away in the heat of battle, when survival was not guaranteed, but when laid out so plain for all to see, he could not just brush the experience off. Uncertainly, he looked at the others to see their reactions, holding Kharin's hand as she shifted to place her head in Eunhyuk's lap, her free hand gripping tightly to the fabric of his pants in front of her.

Eunhyuk wiped at the tears in his eyes and looked around as he rested his hand on Kharin's shoulder. "I think we all understood we have power, but we weren't ready for just how much control might be needed…" He swallowed hard and looked at Kharin curled up against him. Tenderly, he caressed her hair as he recalled his own error when she had disappeared. "I lost it," he admitted, shame evident in his voice. "I thought she was gone and I could not control myself…" The others nodded as they reached out to place comforting hands on each other. The contact was steadying and allowed him to go on. "I didn't feel anything else." He shivered as he recalled the moment after Summer had helped to stop him. "I lost myself," and the look he turned on the rest of the group truly looked lost.

"But we found you," Siwon assured him as he leaned forward and down to hug the other man from behind. He remembered that awful period of time after the battle when they had to pick up the pieces of themselves. It was hard for him as it had been his element that had nearly gotten Eunhyuk killed. Still resting against the elementalist's shoulder, he started speaking again, "For all my strength," and he winced at the memory of his maul crushing that man's armor, "there was very little that I could do by myself in those battles."

Leeteuk placed a hand on Siwon's back and rubbed methodically, his face sad and somewhat confused. Carefully, he did not meet anyone's gaze and just waited for someone else to start talking. He could not give voice to what he felt…not yet. He blinked uncertainly when he felt Eleanara grab his other hand, but when he looked over at her, she wasn't looking at him. She was sort of staring off as she had a tendency to do on occasion when she was thinking too much.

As her eyes began to dry out, she blinked and took a deep breath, catching their attention. "I couldn't do enough. I wanted to… I tried," she insisted, glancing down at Kyuhyun with a stricken expression on her face. "I couldn't do what was needed," she stated bitterly. The memory of Kyuhyun's burned body still hovered in her mind, no matter how many times she told herself that she'd done what she had to. It didn't matter that she has spent most of her power holding off the wyrm's tail…she only recalled that she had not had enough in her to heal Kyuhyun without losing herself again. The thought had certainly crossed her mind often enough yesterday and today, but she had promised Kharin… She glanced down at the other young woman still curled next to Eunhyuk and she felt inadequate all over again. In the end, she had not been able to protect her either or heal the hurt that she now struggled with.

"At least you were able to do something," Summer sighed as she rubbed her hands against her legs as if trying to wipe something off. "I killed a man yesterday…two actually, but how many were we fighting?" She laughed harshly and shook her head. "I couldn't even do anything against the wyrm until I figured out it was a construct. Do you think if I'd have known sooner, the rest of you wouldn't have been hurt so badly?" she asked uncertainly. How had she not known it was a construct? She hadn't been able to feel it until Eunhyuk's power had been quelled. Had he really been such a powerful force she couldn't tell anything else otherwise?

Kyuhyun reached over and grabbed her closest hand, keeping it from moving so nervously. "But you did save me," he told her simply, aware that all of Eleanara's healing ability would have been useless if she had not stopped him when she did.

Unable to stop herself, Summer laughed as tears stung her eyes. His words made her feel gratitude for him and she smiled, feeling a flush creep into her cheeks. Her throat tight, she nodded and wiped ineffectively at the tears in her eyes. She felt Eleanara's hand come to rest against her shoulder, a gentle presence comforting and reassuring.

Slowly, the group absorbed the words they had all shared today, coming to realize belatedly that they had yet to hear from one other. Curiously, all their eyes began to turn to Leeteuk, uncertain how he felt about the battle the other day. "Teuk?" Eleanara asked softly as she placed her left hand on his shoulder gently.

"I'm alright," he assured them weakly. "I just need to learn my limits too." He forced a smile, willing them to look away. Siwon sat up beside him and regarded him evenly. "Yes, combat was hard and I couldn't protect you guys like I wanted to," he added, still smiling though his eyes were sad.

"Leeteuk," Marcus stated softly, making the other man look up. "Let it out, lad."

Attention focused back on the earth elementalist as Marcus had intended and under their uncertain gazes, he found his resistance faltering. "I…there were too many." He felt his pulse start to race and his breathing increased as that horrible sensation came back to him, inescapable. "I couldn't-" he started again, unable to finish the words.

"Say it!" Marcus demanded sharply, startling the group.

The last vestiges of his control broke and Leeteuk growled through clenched teeth, his eyes closed, "I wanted to kill them all!" At the shameful admission, he covered his face with his hands and leaned forward over his legs, his body shaking as wracking sobs overtook him. "For…for threatening all of you," he managed around hiccupping gasps, "I wanted them all to die." He hated himself for that brief feeling of bloodlust and anger, wishing by all the gods that he had never felt it.

Stunned by the intensity of his reaction, the group sat, dumbfounded, and stared at him for a confused moment at his crying form. In the next moment though, both Eleanara and Siwon clung to him in the same instant, holding him tight. It did not take long for the others to get to their feet and embrace him firmly. Fiercely protective, they banded together to comfort him and soon found that he was not the only one crying.

Vayna took that moment step out, quietly unobtrusive as she returned to the day to day affairs and left the remainder to Marcus. The Chieftain watched them approvingly for a time, waiting for them to unfold on their own. It took a bit longer than he had expected, but eventually, they slowly drifted apart, still standing near each other, with many of them holding hands or with an arm wrapped around another. He waited until their eyes were back on him and he nodded in acknowledgement. "Combat is ugly," he started simply and tipped his head to them when he added, "And you've found that out the hard way." Weak nods followed that statement. "After yesterday, I can imagine you have a lot of doubts running through your heads about your power." More nods came from the group, eyes red-rimmed and intense. "I can't tell you how you should or should not use your power. All I can say, is that if _you _don't fight, then more will die. People who are less trained and more innocent than those men who died yesterday."

Slowly, the truth of that statement made its way into their minds and though right now, they all recoiled at the thought of fighting, they knew he was right. More people like the villagers that had sheltered them would be caught in the middle of this pointless war. They were not ready for that war, but like it or not, it was here.

"We can stay another day if you need," Marcus offered quietly, beginning to make his way towards the front of the tent. "Just let me know what you've decided. When you're ready." With that, he quietly withdrew and left them to their thoughts.

By mutual agreement, the party opted to stay one more day. They needed the normalcy of camp life to steady themselves, if only for a day and true to his word, Marcus agreed. There was some muttering from others in the camp that were impatient and eager to get to town so that they might be able to rebuild faster, but the Chieftain would not be dissuaded. The small group in their midst was the best chance they had of rebuilding and keeping the village standing later. He would give up a day for that.

When Siwon returned to the tent after delivering their decision, the others had drifted slightly from the position that he had left them in. They were still within easy touching distance, but most of them seemed in their own worlds. Thoughtful glances drifted around slowly before turning introspective as another memory returned. Carefully, he seated himself near the group and regarded them all with intense eyes. Of the group, he seemed to have had the least difficulty in coming to terms with his strengths and weaknesses. The others were still wrestling with their own, to varying degrees, as he could see by their reactions.

Leeteuk still seemed the most disturbed by his outburst, his face dark and shadowed. It made Eleanara fret when she thought he wasn't looking and it was obvious she was still frustrated by the inability to heal their current wounds. Kharin appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness as she had resumed resting her head on Eunhyuk's lap. The rhythmic motion of stroking her hair and arm seemed to be putting her to sleep, though every now and then she murmured something which he would lean forward to listen to. He would nod or shake his head as was apparently appropriate and then sit back, his sight distant. Summer and Kyuhyun had more of an aloof air about them and Siwon could tell that both were trying to regain a semblance of composure. He wondered how long it would last…

They weren't sure of how much time passed as they were lost in their own thoughts, but it was Tierne that interrupted them as he made his way into the tent, arms loaded with weapons. "I believe these are yours," he stated bluntly as he set the wrapped bundle down at the edge of their cluster.

Dazed eyes focused on the bundle nervously, each of them aware of exactly what would be beneath it. "Thank you," Siwon murmured, getting up to start unrolling the weapons.

Tierne nodded and shrugged. "I cleaned and repaired em. Should be good as new." As seemed to be the norm, he didn't wait for them to inspect his work and instead bustled back out again, busy with some task or other.

The group glanced around uncertainly, all eyes falling on Siwon as he retrieved his maul first from the bundle, metal clinking softly as the other weapons shifted. With a grimace, he eyed the weapon, seeing no difference at all in it from when he had first gotten it. The blacksmith had done a good job. He adjusted the weapon slowly, feeling the heavy weight settle upon him like a familiar but somewhat unwelcome presence. No…he was not ready to fight again.

When it became apparent that the rest had a general reluctance to retrieve their weapons, he opted to at least set them closer to give each person time to adjust. It was not difficult to recall which weapon went to whom and Leeteuk actually accepted the plated quarterstaff with little change in his demeanor. Neither Eleanara nor Eunhyuk had any additional problem and Kyuhyun grabbed his short sword with a heavy sigh, setting it beside him for now. Kharin stared at her mace and he could tell she was weighing the cost of picking it back up again. She had killed a man with that weapon and while she didn't look as if it was going to bite her if she tried to pick it up, it was clear she was uncomfortable. Summer, on the other hand, stared at her sais in an entirely different way.

Kyuhyun noticed her general reluctance and he sighed and rolled his eyes. "They're not going to bite you, ya know?" he stated, reaching out to pick them up and then offering them to her.

Reluctantly, Summer held out her hands to accept the weapons. When Kyuhyun placed them into her grasp, she gasped slightly and dropped them, the tines clanging sharply into the silence. "There's still blood on them," she whispered, her gaze confused.

"Huh?" Kyuhyun muttered, leaning closer to inspect them further. "They're fine," he muttered, nudging them with his hand.

Carefully, Summer reached down to poke them herself, shaking her head when she sat back and stated again. "It's still there."

With an annoyed sigh, Kyuhyun reached down and picked up the weapons, wiping them off perfunctorily with his shirt. "See? They're clean."

Summer realized she was becoming the center of attention and forced a smile, reaching out to take them from his grasp and fighting not to recoil from touching them again. Even after he had wiped them down, the blood was still there. Why was there still blood on her weapons? "Of course," she said instead, chewing on her lip and laying the weapons in her lap hurriedly.

Fortunately, she didn't have to focus on it for long as Marcus returned soon after that, a platter of roast elk and hard rolls in his hands, with three waterskins hanging underneath. "I figured you might want to be eating in here," he shrugged, setting the platter down on one of the vacated cots. "I'll have your packs brought over soon," he assured them matter of-factly. "The tent is yours for now." The Chieftain did not stay to talk long before he up and left, leaving them to the food and drink.

Kyuhyun had no such problem with wanting food and was the first to retrieve it, cutting open one of the rolls and placing a slab of meat on it before returning to his spot and eating, a waterskin in his other had. Eleanara and Siwon watched him with a rueful shake to their head. At least he was eating… The light and water elementalists assisted each other in making enough sandwiches for the others and themselves. Eleanara took one to the entranced Summer, who took it almost too gratefully as her focus was shifted from the weapons to food. The light elementalist shrugged and took a seat next to Leeteuk, nudging him firmly to draw his attention. "Eat," she instructed with a smile, offering the warm sandwich to him insistently.

"Thanks," he finally smiled, accepting the roll and the smile actually reached his eyes when she returned the gesture.

Siwon took it upon himself to drop off a sandwich to both Kharin and Eunhyuk. The latter had little problem in accepting the food and eagerly started eating, briefly casting a glance down at Kharin to make sure she accepted her own share. At last, she took the food from Siwon and sat up reluctantly, remaining close to Eunhyuk as a waterskin was placed between them. Satisfied, the water elementalist settled himself across from them and began eating, eyeing the mace with interest as she had still not touched it yet.

Marcus had made sure to include enough for two sandwiches each and Siwon refilled the waterskins without prompting when needed. Taking the first bite was the hardest part for many of them, but after that, hunger returned forcefully and they ate quickly, despite the presence of the weapons some of them had so disdained to touch a moment ago.

The normal activity seemed to help perk them up for the most part and at last they seemed better able to handle their thoughts. Eleanara took a deep breath and glanced around, eyeing the empty cots as the memory of the injured filtered back to her. A glance at Leeteuk next to her still showed him as pensive, but at least he wasn't quite so dreary anymore. Still… "Would you care to walk with me?" she asked softly as she stood up, reaching her hand down. When he didn't answer immediately she added, "I just need some fresh air, but I would like the company."

Leeteuk laughed softly and nodded slowly. "Fresh air is not a bad idea," he agreed, accepting her offer of assistance and hiding his amusement when he did most of the work in standing up. Still feeling a bit weird about earlier, he let his gaze sweep the tent and noticed the others were not looking at him oddly at all. They acknowledged the pair was stepping out, but it was a friendly concern. The thought eased that small bit of tension just that much more. Politely, he held the tent flap open for Eleanara and gestured her through, releasing her hand when they stepped outside.

She started a slow circuit around the camp, smiling up at the early afternoon sun. While he had released her hand, she remained close; not enough to touch him but within easy reaching distance. When the villagers saw them, many offered them friendly waves, which she returned easily. Of course the elementalists were known, but she had made herself a friend of theirs in healing them. Because he walked with her, that friendship extended to Leeteuk in turn and as life continued to go on around him, he finally felt himself starting to relax. When she touched his arm entreatingly, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the feel as she sought his attention to point out a bird or small creature that she had noticed at the edge of the camp, quiet happiness radiating from her. If nothing else, Eleanara was not afraid of the emotions he had felt or his reaction during the battle. The silent support she offered meant more than he figured she would know.

Back in the tent, Kharin continued to stare at her mace intently. She had finished eating by now and Eunhyuk continued to sit at her side, though he was getting restless. He didn't like being inside all the time and he felt the need to get up and do something. A small sigh escaped him as he didn't want to leave Kharin either. She had seemed so uncertain…so hurt by what she was dealing with. He started fiddling with the sais at his side subconsciously.

The action distracted Kharin and she glanced over, noticing his body language and she cocked her head to the side in thought. Despite whatever they were feeling, life continued to move on and her thinking about it wasn't going to make a lick of difference. Inside, she trembled to pick up the weapon, but that wasn't going to make it go away either. Resolutely, she pursed her lips together and grabbed the mace before she had a chance to talk herself out of it and stood up smoothly.

Startled by the unexpected reaction, Eunhyuk looked up, reactively grabbing the sais. "Kharin?" he asked before he glanced around, looking for whatever had prompted her to stand.

She laughed once and reached down to grab his arm persistently. "Come on." Uncertainly, she hefted the mace in her other hand and added, "You're as restless as I am and I need to remember how to use this thing."

Eunhyuk allowed himself to be hauled to his feet, the sais grasped firmly in his other hand. It felt good that she had a spark of her usual self back, even if she had to work at it. "If you say so," he smiled, throwing his free arm around her shoulders and shaking her playfully. "But you're still gonna lose," he winked, both challenging and gently teasing.

Kharin managed a weak grin and pushed him away, not too hard. "Hah! We'll have to see about that," she shook her finger at him as she preceded him out the tent flap and headed around to the back of the tent, away from the eyes of most of the villagers.

Their first moves were testing, the easiest of feints and they worked slowly into the practice of sparring. The snow crunched softly under foot and they focused on the feel of the weapons in their hands, the absence of any use of their power a comfort. As they warmed up and grew accustomed to the terrain and each other again, their moves became more sure and at last their weapons clashed, the sharp clang of metal meeting resistance. Facing Eunhyuk, she didn't see the faces anymore or even hear the screams that continued to follow her. She only saw his focused appearance as they paired off, an equal in this ring. Easily, they gave themselves up to the feel of combat, for the sake of technique and footwork, lacking any intent to harm. The simple physical activity of sparring was more soothing to them than few things would have been at this time and they relished in it.

When the others left, Kyuhyun stood up and followed after them, a distracted look on his face. He left the short sword where it lay and just walked out without a second glance. The fire elementalist looked through the faces of the villagers, searching for one in particular. When searching failed at first, he paused to listen and recognized the sound of a hammer rhythmically clanging. He followed that sound and finally found Tierne hard at work at an anvil where he was working on another's blade. There was no smithy nearby, just a small campfire that he had to himself with a small set of portable bellows resting near it, ready for use. The fire elementalist stared at the flickering flames intently and after a time, shifted his gaze to watch Tierne. The blacksmith didn't seem to notice him, didn't change anything about his routine but he spoke as he worked, startling Kyuhyun. "Are you going to help or are you just going to stand and watch me all day?"

Kyuhyun looked around uncertainly, not sure if there was someone else here with him. When it was confirmed that Tierne was speaking to him, he chewed his lip nervously. His dark eyes rested on the old, healed over scars that had been made long before Eleanara healed him and his brow furrowed. "How do you do it?" he asked instead, regarding the other man with a quiet desperation in his gaze.

Tierne didn't have to ask to know what Kyuhyun was really inquiring about. It certainly didn't have anything to do with him mending a sword. He hefted the sword up, now a cool orange color, and eyed it critically. He set the hammer down and drifted to the fire, gesturing to Kyuhyun, "Come here." Warily, Kyuhyun skirted around the flames and moved to stand next to the blacksmith. "Hold this," he stated as he set the sword in the flames where he wanted it and waited for the young man to take the hilt.

The fire elementalist looked at the handle and then at the flames, feeling his skin crawl as the heat brushed him softly. Finally, he shifted down enough to grip the handle and then looked at Tierne with confusion in his eyes. "Now what?" Tierne moved to the bellows and pressed down hard with his foot. The generated air fanned the flames and intensified the heat Kyuhyun felt immediately and the young man yelped in alarm as he dropped the hilt and backpedaled, a shaken look in his eye. "What the hell?" he demanded angrily, his heart racing.

Unperturbed, the blacksmith nodded and stood up to retrieve the sword, pointing at the bellows stoically. "Go on," he stated bluntly, kneeling before the fire and waiting patiently.

Still shaken, Kyuhyun brushed off imaginary debris from his clothes and looked around to see how many had seen his reaction. When only one or two persons even glanced at him, he licked his dry lips and carefully hedged his way over to the bellows. At Tierne's nod, he carefully placed his foot on the top of the handle and pressed down gently as he had watched the other man do. A gentle stream of air emerged and the fire flickered hungrily but didn't do much more than that. He looked at Tierne again for some sort of comment, but the blacksmith remained silent, focused on the blade in the coals. Tentatively, Kyuhyun released the bellows and tried again, harder this time. A stronger breath of air resulted in a larger and more intense fire for the effort he put into it.

"Good," Tierne encouraged, waiting for the young man to go again. With greater confidence, Kyuhyun repeated the action and as he fanned the flames, he made the connection that the fire responded to how much effort _he_ put into it. The older man watched the understanding spread across the younger one's face. "In my profession, the only times I burned myself were when I forgot to respect the flames." His sincere gaze held Kyuhyun's and he waited for that to sink in.

Kyuhyun had to look away from the honest eyes and focused on his open hand instead. Thoughtfully, he watched the fire burn for a moment more and then decisively closed his hand, a grim smile on his face. "Can I try again?" he asked, gesturing at the sword in Tierne's hands. The blacksmith smiled slightly and easily switched off as he watched the younger man face the flames.

As Kyuhyun left the tent, Siwon got up and knelt down in front of Summer. The look he gave her was perplexed as she still seemed uncomfortable with the sais she had in her lap. Carefully, he picked them up and looked them over himself, trying to see what it was that had bothered her so. "You okay?" he asked as he looked at her over the weapons in his hands.

She regarded him uncertainly for a moment and finally whispered, "I can't get them clean."

His brow furrowed in confusion as he examined the polished tines again. "They're-" he started to say before he recalled her comment from earlier. She had killed two men… It was a bit different when they faced them up close like that. To take a life with the use of their powers was different. They did not have to see the faces of those they might kill up close like she had. He knew what it felt like though. Respectfully, he placed the sais on the ground and reached over for Kyuhyun's short sword. He handed it to her and asked, "Is this clean?"

Summer looked at the blade in confusion. "Of course it's clean," she assured him, not understanding where he was going with this.

Siwon smiled and agreed. "Yeah. Kyu hasn't used it yet," he shrugged, taking it back and setting it where he had taken it from. Carefully, he removed his weapon and held it out for her to inspect. "And this one?"

She nodded her head and told him, "It's clean too."

"No," Siwon disagreed quietly, retracting the weapon and bringing it close to him. "It's as stained as yours is." There was little chance the man he had struck earlier had survived the attack and even if he had, the weather or even the villagers would have finished him off. He couldn't see the stain she was talking about on either weapon, but he knew it was there. It would always be there. Resignedly, he replaced the weapon and looked at her with a sad smile. "I don't want to add any more stains either, but I'd rather do that protecting you guys, than just standing by and watching you get hurt." The stalwart water elementalist reached out and cupped her face gently.

Summer closed her eyes and leaned into the contact as she thought about what he said. In irritation, she wiped away the tears that pooled on her lashes. She took a deep breath and grabbed his hand in hers, thankful for his understanding. Her eyes fell on her weapons again and while she could still see the blood on them, knowing he could tell it was there made it more bearable. "Okay," she said simply, releasing his hand and reaching down to retrieve them shakily.

"Come on," he encouraged, standing up and reaching down to assist her. "Let's get out of this tent."

Eager to do just that, she accepted his help in standing and replaced the sais on her person in their sheaths. For now, she could only get used to the feel of them again. The sun beat down on them brightly as they stepped out. The cold, crisp air felt good as they took a deep breath and paused to ground themselves again.

Comfortably, Siwon threw an arm around her shoulder and walked with her around the camp, just taking it nice and easy. Neither of them noticed Kyuhyun working with the blacksmith who frowned at them slightly as they walked by, Siwon's arm still over her shoulder. Tierne interrupted his distraction and brought him back to the task at hand. Mindful of the lesson he had learned earlier, Kyuhyun turned his attention back to the fire, but the image of Summer walking with Siwon stuck with him stubbornly…

By nightfall, the group appeared to be back to their normal selves again. The invisible scars were still there and the memories had only been dampened, but their path seemed manageable again. Of course they were still afraid of the next fight they would have to take part in, but it was not the overwhelming thing it had been when they started the day this morning. The seven joined the rest of the village for dinner that evening and prepared themselves for heading out the next day. They had delayed the villagers long enough, but it had been a needed respite.

The group was ready to turn in early that evening and was grateful that Marcus had given them the use of the large tent. Before they turned in though, Eleanara offered the use of her light ability to provide watch lights for the four sentry posts who would be switching off during the night. It was an offer that was gladly accepted as her light was far more effective than their torches and could be covered or used as needed. The last little use of her power pretty much wiped her out for the night and it was no surprise that she was the first to fall asleep. Despite having the space to spread out as much as they wanted to, the group found themselves bunching together as they had on the trail down. They did not need the warmth, but the constant presence of the others helped them to sleep better in knowing that they were not alone. They didn't know what the future had in store for them, but they knew they had each other.


	13. Chapter 13

The next day dawned overcast and colder than the previous one, but at least it wasn't snowing. The elementalists helped to pack up as best they could, which namely amounted to them making sure their packs were taken care of while the village dismantled the camp around them. Campfires were snuffed out and traces that they had been there were minimized as much as possible. They had time for breakfast as the communal pot was the last thing to be packed and then the entire party was on their way. They had one wagon drawn by two massive draft horses that had been kept off to the side that carried the majority of their larger goods, such as Marcus's tent and Tierne's blacksmithing supplies. The rest were hauled by pairs who carried the packs on hefty poles between them, the ends resting on their shoulders, or individually, as the elementalists did.

They were reminded several times to keep their amulets hidden for when they reached Fairwinter, it would be better if no one knew who they were. Given that two patrols vanished out of existence and a construct that it was likely Enryhll had made had been destroyed, there was a fair chance that he had persons who would be looking for the elementalists. There were really very few others, if any, that would have been able to match a creation of his…

The next two and a half days passed by in a comfortable routine for the group. They assisted when needed, but were otherwise able to maintain their usual order of marching. This time, though they followed along with the rest of the villagers, quite content to let someone else lead for now. It lifted a burden they had not realized they were carrying and gave them just that much more freedom from their responsibility. With the exception of Eleanara and Siwon, none of them used their abilities during their stay with the villagers. The former provided light at night and healing when needed while the latter made sure that all water needs were met in so far as cooking and waterskins were concerned. Fires were still started by hand and camps were set up without the need for Leeteuk to create shelters for them. Neither wind nor shadow was needed either and Summer was glad to have no use for her neutralization.

Perhaps in the end it was a good thing that they arrived in Fairwinter without further mishap and with Marcus and the villagers. It was the single largest gathering of persons they had ever seen and the city was overwhelming in its layout and the sheer number of people there. More surprisingly was that it was nowhere near the size of Lornhaldt…

"Look at all the buildings," Eunhyuk murmured, his eyes traveling upwards as he looked at all the structures that rose more than one story off the ground.

"There are so many people," Eleanara whispered, drifting closer to Leeteuk nervously.

"Stay close together," Leeteuk spoke softly, calling back over his shoulder so that they others would be able to hear him too.

"Really?" Kyuhyun asked sarcastically, though they could hear a hint of nervousness in his tone too.

Marcus moved back through the villagers to approach them as he noticed their expressions. "It's not as bad as it seems," he shrugged, pointing down the main road they were on. "Stick to this street as you're heading through. You should come across an inn or two if you want to stay and there'll be shops to provision yourselves if need be. I suggest you don't stay too long though." It was a mild warning and they did not miss it. The longer they stayed in any one place, the more likely it would be that someone else found out about them. That was the last thing they wanted right now.

"Thank you, Marcus," Leeteuk bowed, solemn and respectful. They owed him much.

"No, Leeteuk. Thank you." While he did not say it, the unspoken title floated over them as he met all of their gazes, intense and hopeful. He reached out to shake Leeteuk's hand and then pulled the smaller man into a bear hug at which he gasped at the strength. Quietly, he whispered in his ear, "You are a good leader and a good man, Leeteuk. Don't forget that." With a wry grin, he pushed Leeteuk back and clapped him on the shoulders firmly. "Good luck," he stated finally, extending the wish to all of them present before he turned around and filed back through the villagers, taking point and leading them into the confusing city of Fairwinter.

The elementalists watched him go, looking around uncertainly as the rest of the villagers filed around them, some waving as they passed and others seemingly unconcerned. Vayna, Drell and Tierne all made sure to make eye contact with the group and then nodded respectfully, disappearing into the milling crowds.

Leeteuk watched them go as he struggled with Marcus's parting words. He could not forget what he had felt in battle, but the desire to protect them all was strong. That had to be enough. "Well…let's get going," he sighed, reaching down to take Eleanara's hand before he stepped forward bravely.

Behind him, the rest fell into step with everyone pressing closely. Warily, they kept an eye on the people passing by, all strange and unfamiliar faces not unlike their own. These were the people that stood to lose the most in this stupid war and they went about their daily lives as if nothing was on the horizon. Granted, it was possible the war wouldn't reach them for a while yet, but they seemed unconcerned by the outcome. They ignored their fellow persons and seemed otherwise oblivious.

Intently, Leeteuk and Eleanara kept a sharp eye for the inns that Marcus had mentioned. If distance was anything to go by, they had traveled about halfway through the center of the city before they found a place that looked promising; the Mended Nest. It didn't inspire confidence exactly but neither was it a dubious name…

Unlike the Frozen Haven in Moorhall, the Mended Nest was considerably busier and not nearly as clean… The atmosphere as they stepped in was far more overwhelming as the scent of multiple bodies, different types of food and drink and the ever present smell of the city followed them in. Leeteuk schooled his expression to one of neutrality as he looked around the room, noting a couple empty tables and from the ones that had occupants, only moderately curious glances. He thanked the gods that Vayna and Drell had outfitted them to fit in with the general population. Easily, he disengaged his hand from Eleanara and headed over to the bar in the hopes of finding them lodging and food for the day. He knew they would all enjoy the chance for a bath…

As Leeteuk moved up to the average sized man behind the bar, the others looked around curiously, trying hard not to appear too new to the area. They noted the differences that Leeteuk had from the Gairen's place and the vast difference in clientele. Even the smells were harsher and the smoke from the cooking fire wasn't as well ventilated. Having had no prior experience with inns before the one in Moorhall, they had no idea which was more the norm… Fortunately, they didn't have time to worry about it too much before Leeteuk came back to their group, two keys in hand.

"Come on," he urged, taking Eleanara's hand again and leading the way to the back hall where the rooms were located. He waited until they had gotten past the general din of noise and further into the hallway before he tried speaking again. "It's a similar set up to Gairen's," he explained. "I think the beds are slightly bigger…" He sounded unsure and as they opened the first door, they were not surprised to see that the two per room were slightly larger than ones in the Frozen Haven; just large enough for two people really and he had been counting on. "So we'll be a bit cozy tonight," he laughed with a shrug as he went to unlock the other door.

"Not again," Kyuhyun sighed as he shook his head.

"Oh, it's not that bad," Siwon smiled as he moved closer and placed his hand on one shoulder and his chin on the other. Kyuhyun groaned as the others smiled or hid laughs behind their hands, amusement dancing in their eyes.

"So do we know about the possibility of a bath?" Summer asked at the same time Eunhyuk asked, "What kind of food do they serve?" It had been a couple hours since they had last eaten and a couple days since they'd had a full bath. Everyone was eager for one or the other.

Leeteuk stepped out from the second room, free of his pack, and smiled, "We have both. We can get food brought to the room if we want to avoid the dining area," and his tone of voice suggested he would prefer that, "and the baths are at the back. Not sure about the waiting time though." His expression turned curious as he thought about that.

"We'll go check out the baths if you guys want to work on the food," Kharin volunteered, gesturing at Summer and Eleanara who both smiled at the thought.

"Hey!" Kyuhyun complained mildly at which point Siwon, still moderately attached, steered him into the room Leeteuk had emerged from.

"We can do that," he assured them as Eunhyuk dodged around them to drop his pack off first.

"I'm ready," he grinned, the impish smile returning.

As the girls settled their packs in their room and carefully locked the door behind them, the men did the same and headed for the dining area for refreshments. They just hoped that the fare was good. Kharin, Summer and Eleanara discovered that the bathing area was split into two sides; one for women and one for men, though the water they could draw was only warm at best. At least the soapstone was decent though and not quite so rough as the ones they'd had to use back home.

Kharin was glad to see that Eleanara looked nothing like she had a few days ago when she had abused her powers. Quickly, they washed up and dressed back in the clothes they had worn to the bath, dubious of walking back to their rooms in the short towels the inn provided. They returned as quickly as they could and knocked on the door to the men's room. They had a separate tray of what looked like some sort of stringy sliced meat, hard rolls and a side of some sort of vegetable they couldn't easily identify. The men vouched for the taste, or least its palatability and inquired about the bath. That was easily explained and Kharin unlocked their door as Summer carried the second tray the men had brought while Eleanara snagged the pitcher of water.

While the men took their turn in the bath, the women ate and settled into their room. The sounds of the inn were strange to them, with nondescript, unfamiliar voices drifting down the hall from the dining area. They were glad when the others returned. The elementalists were easy to recognize as they joked with each other as they came back to the rooms, their laughter carrying into the girl's room effortlessly. Leeteuk came to check on them before things started to quiet down for the evening. "You guys doing alright?" he asked, taking a glance around the room as Eleanara opened the door for him.

"We're just fine," she assured him with a smile, glancing back at Summer and Kharin who nodded in tandem.

"How are we on supplies?" Kharin asked curiously. She had looked over her pack earlier and it looked well enough from where the villagers had been able to supply them with a couple things, but she wasn't entirely sure if they were fully stocked.

Leeteuk pursed his lips in thought and nodded. "We're doing alright for the most part, but we should stop on the way out to see if we might need to pick up an item or two." The others nodded in agreement, liking that idea much better than trying to take care of it at night in the unfamiliar city, provided any of the shops were even open at this time.

"How are you guys holding up over there?" Summer asked, her thoughts obviously elsewhere.

"We're good," he assured her easily with another smile. "Like I said. The quarters are a bit cozy is all," he winked, laughing as he pulled his head back to glance as his door when they heard Kyuhyun's indignant cry through the wall.

"Siwon!"

"Go on," Eleanara urged, pushing him back gently as she sought to close the door. "We'll call you if we need anything."

"Rest well," Leeteuk bowed slightly as he let his gaze fall upon the rest of them, eyes lingering just a hint longer than necessary on Eleanara's before he hurried back to his room and whatever mess the other three had gotten themselves into. In the end, Eleanara and Kharin shared a bed while Summer had hers to herself. In the other room, Leeteuk and Eunhyuk took one bed while Kyuhyun suffered Siwon to sleep in the same bed. The sounds of the inn kept most of them awake longer than they were used to, but eventually sleep overtook them all.

The same sounds that had prevented them from falling asleep quickly also woke them earlier than they were used to. Other customers were up and about well before them and the kitchen staff wasn't particularly quiet about their breakfast preparations. In the one room, Leeteuk woke with an arm draped over Eunhyuk's back as he was sleeping on his stomach, one of his arms in turn was hanging off the bed. The eldest got up, poking the other occupant in the ribs playfully until he stirred.

"Teuk…" Eunhyuk murmured, his eyes still closed as he rolled into the now empty space.

"Come on," Leeteuk smiled. "Time to get up." As Eunhyuk was reluctantly coming around, he focused on the other two sleepers. Siwon was spooning Kyuhyun with an arm curled around the younger man protectively. The eldest couldn't help but laugh. "Siwon. Kyu," he stated quietly, shaking first one shoulder and then the others.

Both groaned and shifted. As Kyuhyun opened his eyes, his gaze traveled down to the arm draped over him and he rolled his eyes. "Must you always sleep so close…?" With a long suffering sigh, he picked up Siwon's arm and moved it off him so he could roll forward and to his feet, slightly awkward first thing in the morning.

Siwon didn't bother to answer. He just rolled over and sat up on the other side of the bed, stretching hugely and half-heartedly covering a yawn with his hand. "Morning already?" he asked instead, standing up and shuffling around to the rest of the group.

"I'm afraid so," Leeteuk nodded, already throwing the covers back into place and getting ready to head out the door.

"It's still early…" Eunhyuk sighed, laying back down on the bed and watching Leeteuk with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"No," Leeteuk laughed as he returned to the bed to pester the wind elementalist some more. "We need to get an early start," he explained.

Next door, the women were going through an easier wake up process. Eleanara and Kharin woke around the same time, the smaller one burrowing closer to the hollow of her sleeping partner's body before she shifted too, removing the arm that had been resting on her shoulder. The light elementalist sat up and looked around with sleepy eyes, listening briefly before deciding the outside noises had woken them. "Kharin?" she asked quietly as she wiped sleepies from her eyes.

"I'm up," the taller woman murmured, sitting up beside her and yawning. "Come on," she urged, pushing the smaller woman over just a bit to get her moving.

Unprepared for the push, Eleanara squeaked and flailed before she managed to get her feet out from under the covers and over the side of the bed to catch herself. "No fair," she cried plaintively, giving Kharin her best sad face.

Kharin laughed and shook her head. "You're fine. Wake Summer up will you?" she asked, standing up and listening as Eleanara had.

Deflated, Eleanara sighed and nudged the other sleeper. "Summer. Summer," she tried again, shaking her gently. Summer giggled as she turned over in her sleep, a silly smile on her face. "She's dreaming," Eleanara laughed.

Kharin came around the bed and smacked the other woman lightly on the hip. "Summer!"

Startled, Summer sat up in bed abruptly and almost bumped heads with Kharin. "What…?" she groaned, looking at the pair through one open eye.

"Time to get up," Eleanara leaned in smiling. "I'd wager the guys are already up." Curiously, they turned their heads in the direction of the other room and listened. The sound of a door opening next door had them all nodding in agreement before a knock on their door confirmed it. "Coming," Eleanara called, bypassing Kharin.

Leeteuk looked in again when the door was opened and he waved at the newly woken women. "Good morning. Just checking on you," he started agreeably. Quickly, he stifled a yawn and went on, "We're heading for breakfast if you would care to join us?"

Eleanara looked back at Summer who was kicking free of the covers and nodded. "We'll be right there."

"What's the rush?" Kharin asked as Leeteuk started to head out.

"Just trying to get an early start," he answered simply.

She groaned in response but waved him away as Eleanara closed the door behind him, still smiling as she did so. "It's too early for this," she groaned, scratching her head with both hands and sending chestnut strands in every direction.

"Well, at least you're not one of the cooks," Eleanara shrugged, cringing to think how long they'd been up for.

Kharin shrugged before she quickly combed her mussed hair up with her fingers and braided it again with practiced ease. Summer threw her hair back into a pony-tail and Eleanara pinned hers up with the wooden clip she had removed last night in a half pony-tail. Appearances straightened out, they were ready to join the others.

Breakfast was a less hectic affair than dinner had been with the dining area being freer of persons. Some were still sleeping and others were already gone for the day while only a handful had actually stayed to eat in. They opted to be in the latter group and found a table for all of them. Breakfast was simple fare of some sort of boiled oats with meat drippings and as many biscuits as you cared for. The group did not dally long, staying long enough to eat their fill and taking a couple biscuits for the road before they returned to the rooms and finished getting packed up for the journey out. Leeteuk dropped their room keys off for them and then headed out into the bright morning light of a perfectly clear day, the others in tow.

Even as early as it was, the city was busy with pedestrians walking up and down the street and vendors selling their wares already in small hand carts and stationed along the side of the road. Their eyes widened in surprise as they had missed that aspect of the city coming in later in the day as they had. They regarded the street vendors warily, distrustful of their loud attempts to grab attention. Leeteuk moved them forward as best he could, holding to Eleanara's hand again as he was always nervous she'd somehow get lost in the crowd. She didn't seem to mind the contact at any rate. He kept his eyes peeled for a general store that might have additional travel supplies they were lacking. On the whole, they knew the weather was going to start getting warmer and they might well have to contend with rain soon as opposed to snow.

Near the other side of town, heading in the direction they wanted to go, they found a general store by the name of the Travelers Pack. Well, that sounded about right enough. He didn't want everyone heading in with him so Leeteuk took Siwon into the store to see about provisions they might need while the rest waited off to the side, still looking about curiously in the morning light. On a much larger scale, it actually reminded them of the monastery when they thought about it. The differences were huge, but there was a certain routine feel to the people who populated the streets just now. Their group did get just a bit nervous when the recognized what appeared to be a law enforcement official making his rounds first thing in the morning. To their great relief, he didn't pay them any mind as he continued walking by their group, his hand resting comfortably on the short sword in his belt.

Still, they were unaccountably relieved when Leeteuk and Siwon returned with an armful of supplies, most of which the latter was carrying. "Here," he offered, dropping off a small wrapped bundle to each person.

"We'll probably start seeing sleet and rain soon," Leeteuk explained as he settled his own waterproof cloak into his pack. The thought made the rest shiver as it was still plenty cold and they hadn't yet escaped the snow. It was definitely not as prominent in Fairwinter, but it was still there.

"Lovely. More good weather," Kyuhyun sighed, rolling his eyes when Summer gave him an aggravated glare.

"Can't be helped, I suppose," Kharin murmured, carefully packing her own cloak.

"We'll manage," Eunhyuk offered, looking around at the others for agreement.

"Of course we will, Hyuk," Eleanara agreed emphatically. "We've made it this far."

"And we still have a long way to go," Summer added with a sigh as she looked ahead to the edge of the city and the trail beyond. It was a big world out there and they had only just started to see it.

"Which is why we have no time to waste," Leeteuk followed up smoothly, adjusting his pack so it rested comfortably on his person. "Are we good?" he asked, looking around to make sure the cloaks had been stored and that they were ready to move forward. As nods met his query all around, he took a deep breath and peered at the new map he had acquired here, which was more accurate for the purposes of heading for Lornhaldt. A long path lay ahead of them and along the way it appeared that they would have to skirt around Mount Balaron and cross the Angmer river that flowed from Denmer lake. On the other side of the Angmer was the Sedgewood Forest and finally Lornhaldt…

"We'll get there," Eleanara said quietly at his elbow as he stared at the distance ahead of them.

Leeteuk gave her a grateful smile and nodded once, folding up the map and storing it inside his shirt. Carefully, he felt for the plated staff strapped to his person and took another deep breath. After the first step, the others fell into place behind him, their path easy for now.

As they made their way out of Fairwinter and onto the path that would lead them to Lornhaldt, they were struck by the sheer size of everything they had not seen within the walls of the monastery. It was one thing to learn about them, but another entirely to actually see them and in the light of day, it was breathtaking. Silence reined over them as they took the sights in and warily passed by travelers on their way to the city. Once, they were startled by riders coming up fast behind them, riding striking black warhorses and bearing Enrhyll's symbol.

The party moved to the side of the path as quickly as possible and watched as the group of twelve riders got closer. Warily, hands reached for weapons slowly as their hearts raced, beating an erratic tattoo against their chests. Their relief was palpable as the war party passed them by without a second glance, the thunderous sound of the hooves soon receding, leaving an eerie quiet in their wake.

"Do you think they found out about the patrols?" Eunhyuk asked into the silence, glancing at everyone when they looked at him immediately.

"It's as good a guess as any," Kharin finally sighed, reaching out to punch him lightly in the shoulder.

He dodged adeptly and grinned at her. "Too slow."

"Oh quit flirting you two," Kyuhyun smiled sardonically.

As the wind and shadow elementalists looked alternately perturbed and flustered, Siwon leaned on Kyuhyun's shoulder. "Jealous?" he asked playfully, poking the slightly shorter man in the cheek.

"No," Kyuhyun scoffed, stepping out from under his arm so that Siwon stumbled forward.

The water elementalist carelessly tossed his arms around Summer who was the next closest person and lamented, "I don't think Kyu likes me anymore."

Summer stumbled slightly and then laughed, glancing back at Kyuhyun who seemed a bit annoyed. "Well you've still got us," she winked, glancing around the party at which they all smiled, glad for the interaction.

The fire elementalist frowned and stepped over to the pair. "Tch. We haven't got time for this," he grumbled as he grabbed Summer's hand and pulled her from Siwon's embrace. "Come on," he muttered, starting to lead the way, towing a confused Summer behind him.

The other five looked at each other uncertainly with Siwon particularly baffled before they shrugged helplessly and followed. For a time, the fire elementalist led the way, still holding Summer's hand, to her pleased surprise. As the path was straight, there was no need to call him short and he at least set a good pace so they were more inclined to follow. At last, he seemed to realize what he was doing and he looked down awkwardly at his hand still grasping the neutralizers. Uncomfortably, he disentangled himself and looked at her with a noncommittal shrug. Behind, he could see that he general order had switched up with Kharin and Eunhyuk in the middle and Leeteuk, Eleanara and Siwon bringing up the rear. As there was no complaint with him in the lead, he stayed there until it was time to call a break as determined by the hour of day.

Easily, they shared out rations and waterskins and kept to the side of the path, making sure not to get in the way of traffic. When they resumed their trek, their order returned to normal and nothing seemed amiss any further.

The party made good time in the next two days, fair weather and on further surprises forthcoming. On the third day, rain threatened overhead until early afternoon when it fell in earnest, slowing the group down considerably as they accustomed themselves to traveling in mud. As they traveled, a steady stream of people passed them in both directions. The road was rarely lonely, even if it was populated by strangers. Some of the persons appeared to be families with most of the goods in small herd beast drawn carts. Others were vagrants and those searching an escape from the war that raged in the west. Fresh faced fighters passed them up often, usually riding poor quality horses and in some cases, donkeys. More fodder for the war…

They were nearing the end of the third day and were closing in on the crossroads on their map when the area around them felt different. It wasn't anything overt and if they hadn't been on edge in general, they might well have missed it, but they became aware very quickly they weren't alone. A quick glance around showed that they were lacking the usual person nearby and the very location, a stretch of road overshadowed by an outcrop of rocks from a small hill ahead, did not bode well.

"Be ready," Leeteuk murmured, reaching for his plated staff. Behind him, he heard Siwon whispering something to Eunhyuk and then he didn't have time to pay attention to that anymore.

From the structure ahead, like ants from the ground, a stream of haggard and hungry looking men in roughshod, piecemeal armor charged towards them. Before the rest had much chance to react, Siwon and Eunhyuk pelted to the front and raised their hands before them, completely unarmed. From Siwon's fingertips drifted a steady stream of hazy mist that was immediately picked up by Eunhyuk's wind and carried swiftly to the charging men. As the bandits charged into the wind driven mist, their knees buckled and weapons dropped from senseless hands as hard eyes rolled into the backs of their heads and they subsequently fell to the ground, deep in slumber.

As the men beyond saw what was happening, they slowed up confused and afraid. When they seemed torn between what they should do next, Kharin stepped up and ensconced their heads in a dome of darkness, prompting terrified screams and blind running that did nothing to dislodge the force blocking their vision. It did not take them long to knock themselves silly against an obstacle or another while the one or two more aware ones sat down abruptly with their head in their hands, crying and rocking softly.

Their hearts still hammering in their chests, the elementalists regarded each other evenly, wide-eyed from the attack. They shared an unspoken understanding that they were all unwilling to kill again if they could avoid it. "Nicely done," Eleanara finally smiled admiringly at the three who had orchestrated their retaliation, inordinately grateful that her skill had not been needed.

Leeteuk regarded the sleeping ones thoughtfully, his expression guarded. "Let someone else deal with them," he stated mildly, manipulating the earth to bind the men in place with a wrist of ankle cuff. "I'd rather they not wake and follow us on some off chance," he murmured when he glanced back at the others and their curious faces.

Kyuhyun threw up a flare, the small flame exploding when he deemed it high enough. "And we shouldn't let them be alone for too long," he smiled, the sight slightly malicious.

None of them could say anything to him otherwise though. He just stated more openly what they felt… To be preyed on by the betrayers, the dislocated, or those who simply refused to choose a side was terrible. They wanted no part of them.

"Come on," Leeteuk called firmly, reattaching his plated staff and moving forward. "We need to find a 'safe' place to set up camp." Still somewhat shaken by the attack, the group fell into line, crowding just a bit closer than normal. Wary eyes continued to regard the others, quietly acknowledging that while they had not been practicing their powers, it was clear that some had been thinking about them quite a bit.


	14. Chapter 14

As the next day began, they cleaned up their site, making it look close to new and resumed their trek. With the memory of the attack still close behind them, they continued onward, perpetually wary of another such attack. As if they didn't have enough to worry about already without another group to worry about. If nothing else, the day passed by uneventfully in one long stretch of marching, a handful of travelers and small farmhouses and villages in the distance from the main road. In direct contrast to the simple event of moving forward, Mount Balaron continued to grow larger and began to loom to above them, dark and foreboding.

Into the second day, things did not get any better as a steady stream of smoke trickled up and wreathed the mountain top ominously, casting everything nearby in shadow when the sun passed overhead. Small villages in the distance lived in its shadow, the presence something they were apparently used to, but as the elementalists approached, it began to feel as if something else were watching them. They became edgy, like one does when they have an itch they simply can't scratch, and the feeling only got worse throughout the day.

Not long after their midday break, when the sun was hidden behind the smoke, Kyuhyun snapped, "Would you quit it?" He stopped mid-step to glare at Eunhyuk who was immediately taken aback.

"What'd I do?" he asked, genuinely perplexed as he looked at Kharin.

"Just stop with your…wind," he muttered, gesturing ineffectively before he swiped at the hair that had tickled his ear for the umpteenth time.

"I haven't done anything," Eunhyuk defended himself.

"It's just the wind, Kyu," Kharin muttered, annoyed for Eunhyuk as she stepped closer to the other man.

Kyuhyun grumbled something under his breath and kicked at the dirt. He felt Summer place her hand on his arm and he looked over crossly. "None of you have done anything," she explained softly, admitting she had felt no power stir recently.

He shrugged her hand off in annoyance. "Just calm down," Leeteuk soothed, rolling his shoulders as he felt the tension too.

"I am calm," Kyuhyun muttered, a frown on his countenance.

"Not now guys," Eleanara gestured nervously. "We've got a lot of daylight left," she encouraged, trying to smile despite the tension.

"That's the spirit!" Siwon grinned, striding over to Eleanara and sweeping her along as he placed an arm behind her and propelled her forward again. "You guys coming?" he called back, still walking smoothly, his tall frame towering over her almost comically.

"Hey!" Leeteuk laughed, hurrying to catch up. Eunhyuk and Kharin jogged past, packs bouncing noisily as they moved, bypassing Kyuhyun and Summer neatly.

"Come on, Kyu," Summer encouraged, tugging at his sleeve softly.

Kyuhyun grumbled and looked after the others for a second before he pushed her hand away and then reached around behind her to nudge her forward. "I'm coming…"

The brief pause was enough to ease some of the tension, but not all by any means. As they started to make their way around the mountain, they could see an orange glow that bloomed from the very top and they kept a wary eye on it, an unshakable feeling of discomfit growing in them. While they were nervous to camp in the shadow of the smoking spire, they really had no choice. It was too large to get around in one day and they weren't going to press on during the night. A mundane light source was not something they had opted to worry about with the light and fire elementalists but it also meant they would be betraying themselves in using their powers at night, especially if someone else were to see.

By nightfall, the group concluded that they still had a long way to go before they were going to clear the mountain. It would not be soon enough… More and more often, their eyes turned up to the top, seeking some sign or presence. Something was there… They had seen debris roll down from the top where something had to have disturbed it. The feeling of being watched only intensified at those moments though they could still see nothing.

"What do you think it is?" Eunhyuk asked quietly, his blonde hair, now long enough to fall into his eyes, fluttering in the wind he directed to himself. He had heard nothing but snippets of sound which could have just as easily been rock shifting.

"It's nothing," Kyuhyun stated softly as he threw a pebble into the fire he had started for them. It was just a campfire made with regular twigs and limbs but he ignited it.

"Something has been keeping an eye on us," Siwon insisted bluntly, refusing to let the younger man just brush it off.

"May it _is _nothing," Summer retorted, frowning at the top where a gentle orange glow gleamed. "Nothing," she stated against louder, smiling at Kyu. He laughed once with a half-smile on his face.

"Considering our enemy, I'd rather be cautious and wrong," Kharin muttered darkly, intense eyes regarding Summer and Kyuhyun in annoyance.

Unconsciously, Kyuhyun leaned back with his hands behind his head. "I still say it's nothing."

Siwon glanced over at Leeteuk, trying to see what their leader had to say but his attention was not on the group. His eyes were closed and his hand was pressed against the ground, questing. "At least pay attention," he muttered instead, directing his statement at the fire elementalist and shaking his head.

"Let them be hopeful," Leeteuk stated quietly as he opened his eyes to regard Siwon calmly, alert.

"And pray that they're right," Eleanara added, reaching over to hand Leeteuk a wrapped rock. The cover slipped slightly and a beam of bright light speared the ground before it was quickly shuttered.

"Same order as usual?" Kharin asked, glancing at the watchlight.

"Unless anyone has any complaints," Leeteuk shrugged, looking around to be sure there weren't. No suggestions were made otherwise and Kyuhyun just waved dismissively, still lying down. Easily, Leeteuk tossed Kharin the stone and she caught it deftly, grinning as Eunhyuk tried to catch it midflight and missed. "Don't stay up too late," he warned evenly, smiling to ease the sound of the command. He didn't mean to come off as a parent…not that they'd had them growing up but still.

"Yes, dad," Kyuhyun murmured sarcastically, echoing Leeteuk's thoughts. Given that he had expected the retort, Leeteuk just shrugged.

The rest looked between the two to see if anything further would develop but when that failed, they quietly retrieved their sleeping rolls and laid themselves out. As they had traveled down the path the snow had disappeared entirely and with it, the worst of the cold. They did not sleep so close as they had before and arrayed themselves around the camp fire instead. As the weather looked like it would hold, they did not have the need for a shelter tonight.

Quietly, they said their good nights and settled down, though few drifted to sleep immediately. Kharin banked the fire to reduce the light and paced around softly, her feet crunching lightly on the packed dirt. They had camped not far from the center of the path due largely to the fact that there were so few persons that ever travelled at night. That was reserved only for the most desperate or dangerous predators. Leeteuk lay on his side and watched Kharin's progress, one hand resting on the earth, half-paying attention. He could hear her steps as she walked as if she were right beside him, but the earth was more quiet of late. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not yet.

Across the camp, he could still see the fire reflecting off the eyes of some of the others who had not been able to fall asleep. Despite his earlier words, Kyuhyun was still awake and starting at the mountain top. He was more nervous about it than he wanted them to know and it was obvious to Leeteuk. The others seemed to have drifted off well enough though.

Directly across from him, Eleanara had curled right up and gone to sleep, her back to the fire and her face cast in shadow; not that he needed light to see her face… Her constant presence throughout this journey had been a greater steadying force than he figured she might know. When she wasn't busy running herself into the ground, she had a knack for being nearby, quiet and calm. He smiled at the thought and with a final heartfelt sigh, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

High above them, a pair of dull red eyes regarded the sleeping party intently. Normally, this stretch of road was quiescent and it had no need to stir, content to leave the insignificant humans alone, but these ones… They smelled and did things different than the others. The smell was what had initially caught its attention as it had watched them progress closer and closer to the mountain. From what it had seen, they had power, not unlike the one that had created it. Partially bound to the liquid fire and earth that made its form, it had found no reason to leave that comfort. Now though…

For a long time, it watched the single figure that patrolled the camp, took note as they switched off with another. It waited until the dead of night when the one with red hair took her watch. Slowly, it hauled its large salamander-like frame from the pool of lava, the bright orange coloration subsiding to a duller earth tone, forming shifting plates that mostly hid the molten interior. With infinite patience, it began to make its way down the mountain, the stealthy body blending well with the dark backdrop; betrayed only slightly by the shifting seams that appeared when it moved.

Summer yawned as she blinked sleepily at the fire. She would have to see if maybe she could switch with someone since this middle shift was getting old… Slowly, she made a circuit around her camp, keeping a watchful eye on the road. Why did they even have a night watch? It wasn't as if anything ever happened…

After the thought, she didn't know immediately what it was that made her look up, but she felt a definite tug on her awareness…as if there was something she should recognize. Curiously, she glanced over at the mountain, straining her eyes to see a blur of movement on the slopes. It looked and felt odd… Intently, she retrieved the watchlight and flared a surprisingly strong beam at the spot in question.

As the light came to rest upon dull eyes, a glimmer was reflected back from the glossy surface and the creature growled, its presence betrayed. In that instant, the creature flared to life in a burst of fury, fire erupting from between the cracks in its body and wreathing it in the conflagration.

Summer screamed, a terrified and high pitched note that immediately woke the others. The creature launched itself from the wall, the force of the propulsion indenting the surface behind it. Still clutching the watchlight, Summer backpedaled, nearly tripping over the fire and bumped into Kyuhyun who was staring in wide-eyed terror at the flaming monster coming right at them. "Move!" she cried, pushing at him, desperately trying to put as much distance between them and the construct as she could. Wait…construct…?

The rest of the party bolted from sleeping rolls, completely alert despite being fully unconscious just a few seconds ago. Leeteuk and Siwon dashed in to help Summer with Kyuhyun, who seemed frozen in place. Kharin and Eunhyuk, never far apart, sprinted off to the right of the camp, the complete opposite direction of Eleanara who ran the other way.

Almost as soon as they cleared the camp, the construct landed nearly on top of the fire, the impact force making them all unsteady on their feet as hot coals flew everywhere. The heat from the flaming monster was incredible and made the whole party recoil, desperate to escape the sensation. Immediately, the light elementalist wrapped them all in null-heat barriers, effective only in reducing the effects of intense heat, making its presence tolerable but no less terrifying. Unlike the first construct that they had fought, this one gave them no chance to collect themselves.

It focused on the largest group and darted for the four almost directly in front of it, flaming claws outstretched and savage jaws wide open. Leeteuk and Summer sprinted hard to the left, working in tandem to get out of its path. With his greater strength, Siwon hauled the unresponsive Kyuhyun off to the other side, trying to shield the younger man from the heat of the flames, still warm despite the barrier around them. "Are you alright?" Siwon asked hurriedly into his ear as it seemed Kyuhyun was having a very hard time recovering.

Kyuhyun's breathing was ragged and he was shaking uncontrollably. His dark eyes focused on the play of shadows around them, dancing animatedly from the roaring flames. He felt Siwon's arms around him, protective as he kept the fire elementalist's head down. Nearby, Kharin and Eunhyuk had just started a concentrated assault, trying to distract or deter the creature. Torrents of wind and shadow blades alternately buffeted the creature and caused it to bleed molten liquid where fragments of its body chipped away, only to be reformed after a brief pause.

The construct came to an abrupt stop and whipped its head around, spewing a stream of thick lava as it went. At the same time, it pivoted in place so that the tail end swung around in Eleanara's direction. Both attacks missed Leeteuk and Summer who reeled around and watched in horror as their companions were imperiled.

Siwon heard the sound first, an awful roaring that thundered behind him. Still standing in front of Kyuhyun, he turned with just enough time to throw up a water wall in a blind attempt to divert the attack, or something equally effective. As soon as the two forces collided, a loud hissing sound erupted as steam billowed up angrily, leaving behind little more than solidified lava still hurtling at them. The water elementalist looked startled and then alarmed as he turned to cover Kyuhyun's body before the attack could land.

As he clutched Kyuhyun protectively, the breath was pounded from his lungs as several hefty pieces rammed into the entirety of his back. Unable to scream, he convulsed when one ill-placed rock impacted his spine and he shuddered at the resultant crack. The force of the rocks threw him forward, taking Kyuhyun with him even as his knees buckled and he lost all sense of feeling in his lower body. Forcefully, the pair hit the ground hard, Siwon dazed and limp atop a very confused Kyuhyun.

The stream continued around the Kharin and Eunhyuk who had only slightly more time to react. With a similar effect but more success, Eunhyuk was able to divert most of the arch of fire, flinging lumps of rock back at the construct. At the same time, Kharin grabbed him tight and promptly dragged him into the shadows at their feet, desperate to get them away from harm.

Oblivious to the interplay on the other side of the creature, Eleanara paled further as the thick tail swung around, following the natural flow as the creature turned. "Not again," she gasped as she tried to run out of its path. She pulled up short, realizing she would not be able to outdistance it and briefly struggled with supporting a double barrier to counter the physical attack and the heat of the fire still raging up and down its body. For one agonizing moment, the tail contacted the shields, fire washing over the invisible barriers as it held for a second and then failed entirely as she was overwhelmed. As the flaming tail continued its swinging motion, the backlash from the barriers failing was enough to throw her away, avoiding direct contact with the monster but her body was lost in the darkness beyond the light it cast on the area.

Still otherwise untouched and with their attention split so that there were having trouble keeping tabs on how everyone was doing, Summer and Leeteuk felt anger wash over them swiftly. Summer threw the watchlight down, ignorant of where it landed, and with Leeteuk, they focused their attention solely on the construct. Savagely, Summer bent her will to unmaking it, at which it immediately focused on her, well aware of what she was trying to do.

Leeteuk stepped in front of her and raised a pillar directly in front of the creature. The spire rammed into the creature's jaw, snapping the head up and making it stumble back a step. It howled in pain and anger, a sound that made the ground hum in response, and then snapped back at him hungrily. Leeteuk repeated the process, successfully keeping it distracted and focused on him as spire after spire hammered into it, not overly damaging but incredibly infuriating. As he continued to attack, he saw the construct begin to blur, the edges not so defined.

As another plate on its body chipped and fell away, a thought occurred to the earth elementalist and he reached for it wildly. While it was recovering yet again, still off balance from the last strike, he reached for the nearest plate of its armor and pulled fiercely, feeling immediate resistance.

The construct felt it too and snapped at the invisible force pulling at it. Abruptly, the whole plate tore free, spewing a glob of lava out and onto the ground. Before the gap could solidify, a newly emerged Kharin hurled several shadow blades into the unshielded space, tearing through the soft material within while Eunhyuk followed with a barraged that solidified it once more.

"Again!" they called in unison, side by side, as the flames on the creature died down further. As Summer continued to work, the creature became even more sluggish, responding to each attack slower and slower.

Exhilarated by his success, Leeteuk reached and pulled again, finding the next plate easier to dislodge. Again, Kharin and Eunhyuk struck in concert, helping to diminish the creature further.

Now the construct keened, feeling itself being depleted. It had not expected such resistance and clumsily it tried to turn around in an attempt to flee. Leeteuk saw it and with an angry snarl, he 'caught' the tail, the earth around it responding to his demand reluctantly, before he anchored it to the ground, fusing earth to earth.

"Get ready!" Summer shouted, alerting them that the threads were coming undone.

In understanding, Leeteuk looked over at Kharin and Eunhyuk who nodded, alert and ready. The earth elementalist extended his power as far as he dared and pulled with all his might. Plates all over the body stretched outward as Kharin sent further blades to harry the structure and Eunhyuk threw as much debris as he could send pelting the shifting structure. All at once, something gave and Leeteuk managed to tear all the outer plates from the body while shadow and wind tore the unprotected body to pieces. With a final satisfied yank from Summer, the construct unraveled completely, turning to dust as the power left it.

Weak kneed with relief, Leeteuk shuffled over to Summer and pulled her into a thankful embrace. "Good job," he remarked quietly, taking a deep breath as he took a quick look around.

"You too," she responded, still breathing hard as she hugged him back gratefully.

Still in the circle of light, Eunhyuk and Kharin shared a considerably warmer embrace. He even went so far as to lift her slightly off the ground and twirl her around once, bodies pressed close together and faces smiling in elation. They had done it!

Their battle high wore off quickly as the bleak darkness around them reined them in, illuminated only by the watchlight Eleanara had set for them. The camp fire had been completely demolished and the dull glow from the lava the construct had bled turned to dust when it did. It did not take long for concern to take the place of victory as two of their party were still down and one was missing.

Summer immediately moved to check on Siwon and Kyuhyun while Leeteuk tried to locate Eleanara. It took Kharin and Eunhyuk just a little longer to let go of that moment. They stepped back and the fingers of their hands entwined as they were unsure who to follow after. After a moment, she pushed Eunhyuk gently after Summer, reluctantly releasing his hand as she headed for the watchlight.

Both Kyuhyun and Siwon were fortunate that they were in range of the illumination as it helped to keep panic at bay. Kyuhyun shifted carefully under Siwon's limp bulk, listening to the sounds around him, relieved that the battle had at last wound down. The paralyzing fear of the fire creature had finally worn off and he felt his cheeks burn in shame and embarrassment. Harshly, he muttered, "You can get off me now, Siwon."

Slowly, Siwon stirred, not quite so dazed anymore, but still filled with a vague sense of dread. At the upset words, he tried to move as Kyu requested…well, demanded, and then froze, the first traces of real panic reflecting in his face. In a voice barely more than whisper, he murmured in disbelief, "No…I can't."

"Stop kidding aro-" the words died on his lips as something in Siwon's eyes frightened him. Real worry took root as he saw the ever sturdy and reliable Siwon stricken by fear. "What's wrong?" he asked instead, dreading the answer.

"I…I can't feel my legs," Siwon stammered, the sound broken and small.

"Oh shit…" Kyuhyun stated, the words out before he could stop them. Carefully, he looked around to see who was nearby. "Hey guys!" he called firmly, more than a little nervous to move.

Summer was the first to reach his side and she looked both confused and concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked as she knelt beside them and placed a hand to Siwon's upper back lightly.

"Siwon can't feel his legs," the younger man explained quietly, looking as lost as the one on top of him did.

Summer's gasp was almost lost in Eunhyuk's cry, "What?" Kharin froze as she drifted close enough to hear the admission. Her eyes searched out Leeteuk, heading into the darkness blindly and she was torn… Finally, she headed after the earth elementalist, half the watchlight in hand. There was nothing she could do for Siwon…

In the back of his mind, Leeteuk heard Eunhyuk and he felt a pang of worry but his heart was already racing. This was the way she had been hit…he was sure of it. The attacks had happened so fast, it was hard to keep an eye on everyone at the same time, but he was almost positive that she had been thrown this way. He just couldn't see her… Neither the light she had made nor the moon, now hidden behind the smoky sky, showed her form anywhere. "Where are you?" he asked quietly, worried as he knelt to the ground to listen…to see if she was moving at all. Now, when she wasn't calmly at his side, her absence sounded louder than thunder.

The sound of someone coming up behind him made him look back and he saw Kharin holding half the watchlight in her hand, one side cleanly cut. "Did you find her?" she asked, raising the light up to see better. Determinedly, she did not look back at Siwon, but she still had to swallow the lump in her throat. When they found Eleanara it would be okay…

Leeteuk had been about to answer her but then the light she brought with her flickered on a figure on the ground ahead of them. Without a word, he leapt from where he was kneeling and sprinted to it, fear filling every part of him. He could hear Kharin right behind him so the closer he got, the more clear things became and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Kharin stopped so abruptly beside him he didn't need to see to know she wore a similar expression on her face.

Eleanara lay on her side in a slowly spreading pool of red. Her torso was soaked through and her golden hair was matted with drying blood, carelessly covering her face. Fearing the worst, Leeteuk practically threw himself down beside her, heedless of the blood staining his knees. "Eleanara…" he murmured with a shaking voice as he reached a tender hand to move the hair away from her face. She did not stir at the contact at all, but he could hear a painful wheezing sound issuing from her mouth. "She's alive," he swallowed hard as relief washed over him at the revelation.

"Thank the gods," Kharin murmured breathlessly as she set the watchlight down and shifted to the other side of the small, wounded body. Carefully, she rolled the injured woman to her back, trying to find the source of the blood.

Leeteuk hissed when he saw it first, an ugly and deep gash splitting the whole of her right side below her rib cage. "Oh shit," he breathed. "Shit, shit, shit," he continued as he tore off his shirt and pressed it to her side in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Kharin bit her knuckle hard as she watched the pair in front of her. Only now, when they didn't have a healer, did they recognize their folly in not having any sort of back-up plan. It had never crossed their mind that Eleanara might end up in a position where she would not be able to heal… "Oh gods… Siwon," she murmured, the voice muffled behind her fist as her gaze drifted between the injured elementalists. Leeteuk heard her and met her gaze. The look in his eyes nearly broke her heart.

He took a shaky breath as he tried to think clearly, but it was so hard. The only reason Kharin would mention Siwon now had to mean he was beyond normal help… "Come on," he stated quietly as he gently picked up the small, torn body into his arms and held her close. "She'll be okay," he told her firmly, though they both knew he was saying it for his own benefit as much as hers. "You'll be okay," he whispered quietly into Eleanara's hair as he walked carefully back to the others.

As they returned, Kharin picked up the watchlight and noticed the rock that Eleanara had been torn open on. It wasn't particularly large, but it jutted from the ground awkwardly, a slab of stone about the height of her fist, stained red. Impulsively, she shattered it with a shadow blade, intensely, unreasonably angry.

Summer and Eunhyuk managed to roll Siwon off Kyuhyun without causing him too much pain, but it was obvious he was holding a lot of it back. They had made him as comfortable as they could with a folded shirt from someone's pack under his head and a sleeping roll thrown over him. There was obvious pain in his eyes, but he smiled encouragement at them. "At least we won," he offered with a ghost of humor.

"It's going to be okay," Eunhyuk assured him, holding his right hand tightly, his eyes watery with tears. "You're going to be fine. You'll see," he smiled bravely, though his voice was thick.

Kyuhyun held his other hand, a vast array of emotions shifting across his face. "Dummy," he started weakly, his grip tightening on the other man's hand. "When are you going to learn to get out of the way," he asked as a tear crawled down his cheek. He didn't even bother to wipe it away. Siwon had saved his life today…there was no doubt about that. And here he was; broken and smiling for the rest of them so they wouldn't worry.

"When you don't need me to be there anymore," he answered honestly. He laughed weakly and looked up trying hard not to cry, though despite his best efforts, one tear slid from the corner of his eye.

The simple sincerity made Kyuhyun's chest tighten and he leaned forward to place his head on Siwon's chest. He couldn't even say anything. The words simply failed him so he held his hand and soaked the cover with his tears. He felt one of Summer's arms come to rest across his back and he took a shuddering breath. Her free hand covered his and Siwon's, offering what comfort she could.

When Kharin came running back into camp and immediately started tearing apart one of the packs searching for something, they were all surprised and alarmed. Eunhyuk had to ask because the others didn't. "What's happened?" He relaxed his grip slightly on Siwon's hand as he raised himself up, fearing more bad news.

"Eleanara's been hurt bad," she stated in a clipped tone, finally dumping the pack and then grabbing the set of clothes and the waterskin before heading for Leeteuk who was still holding the light elementalist. She turned around and almost angrily snatched at the first sleeping roll that came to hand.

As soon as she had it laid out, Leeteuk placed his charge on it so that the wounded side was up. None of them were great at treating wounds. They knew the basics but Eleanara had been the one to really focus on it. She would know exactly what to do in this situation…

His hands trembled as he removed the bloody shirt and looked at the wound once more. "Oh ye gods," he murmured again, fighting panic. Frantically, he gestured for the waterskin and doused the wound, washing away bits of debris and dirt that had clotted in it. There was little that they could do beside stop the bleeding and hope that she woke up, but if they didn't manage the first part, the second wasn't very likely. None of this was lost on the group clustered around Siwon and his face took on a very gray sheen as he realized he might well be stuck like this and that Eleanara could die. Unconsciously, his grip tightened on both hands held in his and they responded in the same fashion.

As best they could, Leeteuk and Kharin patched up Eleanara and, two sets of torn clothes later, they sat back, having done what they could. Kharin wiped the blood off her hands, using her pants as nothing else came to hand. Her anger had drained away a while ago and all that was left was weariness and a dull hope that refused to be extinguished. She saw a similar look in Leeteuk's eyes as he gently rocked back and forth, back and forth, with Eleanara in his arms. Unable to watch any longer, she took a shaky breath and stood up. She managed to find another sleeping roll and she folded it gently around Leeteuk's bare shoulders, flinching when he didn't even react.

Eunhyuk approached Kharin quietly. With gentle, slender hands, he carefully pulled her up and into his arms where he cradled her tenderly. "It _is_ going to be okay," he assured her softly. "Come on. You need rest," he urged her, walking her over near Siwon who was still awake, surprisingly enough. Summer and Kyuhyun had fallen asleep some time ago on his other side, curled up side by side, their hands still lightly entwined with Siwon's.

"Believe in her," Siwon murmured softly as Kharin came to rest beside him, with Eunhyuk on the other side of her. Right now, it was the only hope he had…

Kharin turned into the hollow provided by Eunhyuk's body and she clung to him. At least when he had been hurt, she had been worried but fairly sure he was going to be fine. Leeteuk didn't even have that… With Eunhyuk's arms around her and Siwon resting his other hand on her shoulder, Kharin passed out, glad to give up on her worry, if only for a moment.

Leeteuk heard everything that was going on around him and was even mildly glad the others were able to get some rest, but… Carefully, he regarded the small figure in his arms and ever so lightly, he hugged her to him. From all that he could figure, it had been the heat and the flames that had undone her. Her hands had been badly burned, her face was flushed and her throat damaged by heat if the raspy breathing was any indication. Likely she had fainted and then lost control which had resulted in the rest of the injuries.

And every breath she took he prayed was not her last. She had lost so much blood before they had been able to stop it… "Come back to us," he whispered quietly into her hair. As the helpless tears started again, he whimpered, "Come back to me…" It was going to be a very long night.

Hours later, the watchlight finally failed as real dawn began to approach, lightening the sky. The sun was still hiding, not yet having made an appearance when Leeteuk focused blurry eyes as he fought sleep for the umpteenth time that night. He was not going to succumb… He couldn't yet. He had to wait…had to see… Numbly, he looked over at the others who were still resting in sleep's embrace.

He was still watching them sleep when Eleanara shifted. It was such a small move, he wasn't sure he had felt anything but then she took a deeper breath and as he looked down at her with hopeful, deep chestnut eyes, she opened hers. "Leeteuk…" she whispered, the paper thin sound the most wonderful thing in the world just then. Almost delirious with relief and filled with this inexplicable joy, Leeteuk held her as close as he dare and wept into her hair.


	15. Chapter 15

Water shimmered as a bored sigh escaped him. The image of the small party faded away and he leaned back into his throne, thoughtful. So there were others after all… He has suspected as much when the first construct had failed but the north was large and it was difficult and time consuming to search for a lost construct. When the second had failed, it had been easy enough to locate. He had only crafted the one fire and earth creation and he was both impressed and perturbed that two had been destroyed. Not without cost, it would seem, but they had succeeded in coming out victorious.

Quietly, he hummed to himself and steepled his fingers together in front of him, elbows propped on the padded arm rests.

"What troubles you, my Lord?" asked the young woman propped at his feet, leaning against the throne. She was slender and pretty, in a way, with big hazel eyes and wavy brown hair she kept draped over her shoulders. Right now, she was peering up at him with her usual adoration and some concern, one hand resting lightly on his knee.

He smiled down at her patronizingly as he placed a hand on top of her head, like one would a pet. "Nothing you need worry about," he assured her smoothly.

She pouted neatly for a second, which promptly disappeared when he arched a perfectly manicured brow at her, the entrancing dark eyes piercing orbs beneath them. Even when he hadn't been a god, he had been the image of perfection with a chiseled physique, flawless complexion and already divine hair. Silken black locks caressed his shoulders and upper back, flowing smoothly with every gesture he made.

No…she need not worry about the Elementalists. Not yet. He was curious now, himself. They had challenged his creations, which in a way was challenging him, but… If given the chance, would they not recognize his superiority? Would they not admire his radiance and godhood when they could see just how misguided they were?

They would have to! They were not like the insignificant humans who refused to acknowledge his divinity. It was his right to release them from their misconceptions so they couldn't cast doubt; so that they wouldn't cause unrest among the true believers.

Idly, he played with a sliver of flame in his right hand as he leaned forward. They would still need time to recover, but he would need that time. It was no secret at this point that they were coming here. It was inconceivable they would be heading anywhere else really. And in the meantime, he had to get things ready for his approaching 'guests'. Finally, Enrhyll smiled. It was not a reassuring expression.

The coming dawn woke the rest of the party slowly, as they uncurled from whatever position they had passed out in. Despite the fact that Eleanara had woken up, it was still hard to swallow that she was unable to heal both herself and Siwon to any great extent first thing. She simply didn't have the strength and they were worried if she overextended herself and passed out she might not wake again. In truth, they were reluctant to let her sleep at all, but eventually conceded she would have to in order to restore her strength.

While the others tried to sort out what to do now, she curled up next to Leeteuk who had quite literally passed out, and tried very hard not to cry at her ineptness before sleep claimed her. Needing to do something, Kharin took it upon herself to patrol the road, mace in hand and tension in every muscle as she stalked up and down the path. Kyuhyun alternated between holding Siwon's hand as the injured man dealt with the pain of having feeling reestablished but little else, and pacing agitatedly with nothing else to occupy his time. Summer stolidly looked over Siwon while Eunhyuk found himself in the middle of everything with no idea what to do.

He would wager that he was just as agitated as Kharin but he had plenty to occupy his thoughts for now. Absently, he scanned the camp site, annoyed they had lost two packs in the fight last night, completely incinerated by the construct. After everything they had faced though, that was the least of their concerns. There was little left of the construct save for the scorch marks all over the ground which brought to mind the shadows that Kharin had dragged him into.

Undoubtedly, it was where she had disappeared in their fight against the first construct, but that did not make it any easier to understand. Everything had been opposite shades of light and dark, which was a very disconcerting thing when one was used to things being a certain way. In that place, shadow was light and light was shadow so while they stepped into shadow to reach that realm, they had to step into light to get out. Still, if one could get around the very strangeness of the place, it was a nifty trick to have up ones sleeve…

Easily, his gaze shifted to Kharin as she continued to pace, waving off the rare traveler who came by. She needn't have bothered really as most were quite happy to be on their way seeing the scorch marks and the torn earth. As she stalked away from the party, all travel-earned muscle and tension, his eyes drifted down her back and lower…and he felt himself flush abruptly. Embarrassed, he looked away, feeling foolish and silly. Here they were, with part of their group injured and all he could find to do was admire Kharin as she patrolled. Distractedly, he wished Eleanara would wake up soon since it would give him something else to do.

With everyone else distracted and nothing else needing to be done, it was hard to find something to do. Eventually, he simply opted to wait for things to change, casting occasional glances at the others. Fortunately, because he was waiting, he was nearby when Eleanara finally woke up again. Immediately, he was by her side, helping her to stand and make her way over to Siwon. She gave his hand a grateful squeeze but kept her hazel green eyes focused on the injured man.

When Eunhyuk helped her kneel next to Siwon, the water elementalist reached out to trace the hair out of her face, his expression happy but filled with pain. Eleanara gave him a wan smile and placed her hands on his chest. With a deep breath, she poured what she could into his body and finally…finally felt everything align like it was supposed to. One glance at his face showed that he felt it too.

It was an almost magical moment for all of them as the intense feeling of relief and unbridled joy swept through Siwon. Abruptly, he stood up, wonderment soaring through him as he felt his lower body again, free of pain and completely mobile. Impulsively, he swept the standing Eunhyuk, Summer and Kyuhyun into a firm embrace, the entire mood lightening as he was restored.

Grinning from ear to ear, Kharin came down from patrolling to join in the moment, casting a glance at the slowly stirring Leeteuk as he came around. Carefully, she helped the almost wraithlike Eleanara to her feet, glad for the quiet determined strength in her hands, but wincing at the insubstantial feel of her.

Siwon saw them and he relaxed his grip so the circle could open and then reached gratefully for Eleanara. She stepped into his arms, looking very much like a child in comparison to him. Carefully, the rest of the party folded around them, including Leeteuk who had only just woken, still groggy but well aware of what had transpired.

They held each other, soaking up the renewed vitality at everyone's being whole again. Reluctantly, they finally separated with the vague feeling of needing to move from this place but hesitant to do so. Filled with a muted exuberance, Siwon was the first to move and he started with the sleeping roll that he had been under. His warm dark eyes looked over Eleanara briefly and he sighed to himself, wishing they had more time.

While the others were shuffling about, picking up the pieces and preparing to get moving, Leeteuk stepped close to Eleanara and looked down at her, attentive and concerned. As if almost afraid to touch her, he reached out a slender hand and softly caressed her cheek, the skin still slightly flushed. "I'm glad you're alright," he admitted quietly, a warm and relieved look in his eyes.

If she hadn't already been flushed, she certainly would have been then. Leeteuk was blood-smeared and dirty, shirtless and visibly as tired as she, but at that moment, he was the most beautiful sight she had ever laid her eyes upon. Her stomach flipped and she adopted a silly smile, trying to think of something to respond with. Frustratingly, words failed her and all she could manage was a nervous nod, his exposed, toned upper body incredibly distracting in her peripheral vision.

It was not the response he had been expecting. Concernedly, he shifted his hand to feel her forehead and leaned closer, peering into her eyes, searching as the earth amulet swung gently under his chin. "We can stay a bit longer if we need to," he started to say.

Eleanara squeaked and stepped back a half-step, her heart racing. Quickly, she reached up to grab his hand and managed to smile more reassuringly. "No. I'm alright," she assured him, her voice still rough. At his slight frown, she explained, "I couldn't do both. I'll get to it. I promise."

Leeteuk sighed heavily and then shook his head, a half-smile pulling at his mouth. "Come on. Let's see if we can get you a clean shirt."

Distracted, Eleanara looked down and grimaced. Her horrified reaction upon waking had been much abbreviated since stabilizing herself and healing Siwon had taken top priority, but she was still covered in dried blood and still injured. It wasn't a pleasant feeling as the fabric was stiff and rough and she shuddered, noticing Leeteuk's pants were in a similar state. Self-consciously, she tugged at the torn fabric around her scar, a thin, slightly raised white line a little longer than her hand.

The pair were mildly distressed to learn that most of the spare clothes had been used up the night before and the shirt that had been Siwon's pillow had been converted to wash cloths. Chagrined, the group wiping off the worst of the dirt laughed and looked around for something else. They were able to locate a pair of pants for Leeteuk, whose bag was one of the two that had been destroyed, but since they were Kyuhyun's they were a tad long. Both shrugged, glad only that there was a clean pair to be found.

Initially, Siwon tried to give up his shirt for Eleanara, who was thankful for the flush already present as she tried very hard not to focus on his bare torso. Neither Summer nor Kharin were oblivious to it either as they looked at him appreciatively, sharing a guilty smile as they caught each other watching him. They were all fit, but Siwon was very well defined and in the bright light of day, every chiseled muscle was blatantly obvious. His amulet seemed like little more than an accent to his physique as it glinted in the sun.

As Eleanara held the shirt up to her frame, she looked down and sighed. It would be like a child trying on their parent's clothes… Kyuhyun caught sight of Kharin and Summer still looking at Siwon and he frowned. Abruptly, he snatched the shirt from Eleanara, startling her, and pushed it back at the other man. "I don't think she was looking for a dress," he grumbled and folded his arms crossly.

Siwon laughed and looked at Eleanara apologetically. "Sorry, Nara. I tried," he chuckled as he put the shirt back on, bemused by Kyuhyun's reaction.

"Here," Eunhyuk offered as he stepped forward, pulling his shirt off as he went.

When he stepped in front of Kharin, she had a chance to see the muscles of his back ripple when he took the shirt off and her head tilted to the side almost of its own accord. A nudge from Summer, who was wearing a sly smile, allowed her to catch herself and she grinned, a faint flush in her cheeks.

His shirt worked considerably better for the small woman and while it was still big, it was certainly manageable. He walked back and caught Kharin looking at him. "When did you get those?" she asked, blinking at his torso where a set of muscles not quite as defined as Siwon's were easy to see. Suddenly bashful, he ducked his head and grinned. Nervously, he grabbed his upper arm with one hand, the other arm drifting to cover as much of his exposed skin as possible.

He slipped past Kharin, who continued to watch him as he went by, without answering, grabbing at the wind amulet that moved with him, and headed for the first pack before he removed one of the rain cloaks they had. It wasn't as good as a shirt, but at least it provided a modicum of cover. Thoughtfully, he retrieved one for Leeteuk too and while the girls took the one remaining waterproof blanket to provide cover so Eleanara could change, the earth elementalist took the time to wash off the worst of the grime on his person.

Perhaps they stayed a bit longer than they intended to, but none of them could argue that the time it took to get as clean as possible and eat had been time well spent. Fairly refreshed, the party split up the packs while the still fairly elated Siwon offered to carry Eleanara. The mere fact that she didn't even put up more than a token protest validated how tired she was and she climbed on his back with some assistance from Leeteuk.

As they started on, they took one final look at Mount Balaron and determinedly forged ahead. Their map had been destroyed with Leeteuk's pack but he recalled a crossroads not that far ahead of them, two maybe three days depending on their speed. Among the rest of the things that needed replacing were Kharin's pack, Leeteuk's plated quarterstaff, new sets of clothes and all the weapons could use a touch up, except for Summer's sais as she kept them with her at all times. Kharin's weapon had been scorched and the leather handle burned off but was otherwise salvageable.

Leeteuk decided they were definitely going to be getting some emergency supplies… He just hoped they'd have enough funds to make it through the rest of this journey. Yoogin had been generous when they'd left the monastery, but they'd had a few unexpected expenses and setbacks.

Despite the pattern they had established for marching order up to this point, it was disregarded completely as they banded closer together. Siwon carried Eleanara in the middle and the rest fanned out loosely around them, looking very careworn but alert. Hands drifted near their weapons constantly as they were all getting tired of surprises. Quietly, they asked the gods for just a little bit of breathing room in the hopes that at least they'd be able to make the next town without anything else happening.

Perhaps the gods actually heard them this time. Two, almost three long but uneventful days later, the group found themselves approaching the Farwell Crossroads which looked to be a semi-permanent establishment. At first glance they saw the inn up front as usual and were able to make out a general store, what was likely an equipment shop and a large stable beside the inn. Spreading around the permanent structures and to the other sides of the road as well were various tents of goods and performers, most of which seemed a bit lackluster. The whole place felt like it should be livelier than it was but there was a pall over the general atmosphere that made the group nervous. Unfortunately, they had to stop somewhere…and this was the only place any of them recalled on the map with everything they were likely to need.

"Well. Let's see what we can do," Leeteuk murmured as he drew the cloak around him further. They hardly looked presentable but that was part of what they intended to fix and as they thankfully had daylight left, their first stop was actually the equipment shop to see about clothing and their weapons.

Already awkward and self-conscious about having no proper shirt, neither Leeteuk nor Eunhyuk thought anything about the amulets they were wearing until they noticed the shopkeeper looking right at them as they perused the goods. The older man didn't say anything but the shirtless pair consciously pushed the amulets behind them so they hung down their backs instead, trying to pretend that they had never been there in the first place.

As quickly as they could, the group grabbed what they needed, which included one additional set of clothes, beige shirts and brown pants, for everyone present and then a new shirt for both Leeteuk and Eleanara since she could just give Eunhyuk his shirt back later.

Before they had finished, a young man about their age who strongly resembled the shopkeeper hobbled out on a crutch, one leg badly mangled and poorly wrapped. Traces of additional scarring could be seen on his bare arms and face, remnants of some foul attack. In his free limb he carried an armful of smaller pieces of gear and it was obvious he was going to set them out for display.

The shopkeeper shifted his attention to the young man and he hurried over to his side. "Yorin. Here. I can get those," he offered, reaching around to try and retrieve the loose items.

"It's alright, dad," Yorin exclaimed quietly, not quite looking at the guests as he pulled away. "I want to help." There was a stubborn pride to him that would not be denied.

With a grimace, the older man stepped back and watched carefully as his son moved to place the items out, carefully maneuvering around the tables, racks and additional customers. For one so immobilized, he did remarkably well until his return trip where his crutch got caught on one of the legs of a display table and he crashed to the ground with a pained cry, knocking several pieces off the top when he attempted to catch himself. "Yorin!" the shopkeeper exclaimed as he hurried over to help his son.

Yorin had balled up over his bad leg as angry tears coursed down his face. "I'm okay!" he bit, his voice shaking as he caught his father's hand. It was abundantly clear that he was not, but that same pride demanded he say otherwise.

Leeteuk had to grab Eleanara's hand as she started to move towards the fallen boy. She looked back, confused, and he shook his head slightly. Her face fell and she brought her free hand to her chest, upset. Eunhyuk moved to retrieve the fallen crutch and the older man accepted it heavily, eyeing the spot on the stranger's chest where he had seen the amulet earlier.

"Come on son," he simply stated, offering what support he could as Yorin snatched the crutch roughly from the older man. With his father's help, he limped back through the doorway he had emerged from.

Hesitantly, the elementalists drifted to the counter, uncertain how to respond but eager to get out. This whole endeavor was making them incredibly nervous. At last, the older man returned, a haggard and worn expression on his aged face. When he saw the customers at the counter, he picked his shoulders back up and put on a forced smile under a pair of speculative pale brown eyes. "Did you find what you were lookin for?" he asked, regarding the group closely, taking careful note that they all had strings around their necks that dipped out of sight under their shirts, very similar to the ones that he had seen earlier.

Leeteuk smiled as best he could and nodded. "We did. How much?" he inquired, reaching for his money pouch carefully.

Unable to help herself, Eleanara asked around him, "What happened to your son?" Immediately, she cringed when the others turned annoyed looks upon her and Kyuhyun rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh.

The shopkeeper did not miss it. "Enrhyll," he stated simply, watching to see their reaction. "Or rather, his war." Collectively, they winced and their eyes traveled to the back door. "He wanted to fight and they broke him," he sighed heavily as he rubbed his face with worn hands. "If his mother was still here she might have been able to convince him otherwise, but she passed away last year." A grimace as if from an old wound crossed his features and then he put the smile back up.

Slightly shaken, Leeteuk asked again after a pause, "How much?" He felt Eleanara tugging on his cloak and he had to try very hard to ignore her.

The old man saw the exchange and appeared to think it over. When Leeteuk placed his arm on the counter, slightly impatient, the shopkeeper reached out and clasped a surprisingly strong hand over his arm, startling the young man. "I will trade you," he murmured quietly, his eyes meeting theirs quickly, almost desperate. "The clothes for your services," he explained.

Uncomfortably, the rest of the group shifted, looking everywhere but the old man. Leeteuk swallowed and shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about. We're just passing through. We have nothing to offer you." Even as he said it, the words felt hollow to him and he only just managed to keep from wincing.

Unperturbed, the older man persisted, "But you're the Elementalists right?" He saw the surprised look in their eyes and he pressed on, "I saw the amulets. You have to be!" The symbols of the Elementalists were well known; even better now for Enrhyll's blatant use of all six as his own personal symbol.

Leeteuk fumbled for words as he tried to edge away slowly but the grip on his arm was firm, unyielding. "We're just… We can't…" he began, finally looking back at the others for assistance and they were just as lost as he was.

"But you can heal, Yorin," he whispered fiercely, desperate now. In his eyes, they saw the same helpless anger that they themselves had dealt with…were still dealing with, because of the hurt that Enrhyll had caused. Tears that he refused to shed shimmered on his eyelids and he fixed them with an almost reverent gaze. "You can…" he whispered weakly.

They had lost to this man and they knew it; if for no other reason than because they knew exactly how he felt… At last, the older man released Leeteuk's arm and the earth elementalist sighed, a heavy and capitulating sound. He turned around and placed an apologetic hand on Eleanara's arm. The light elementalist opened her tightly shut eyes slowly and removed her hands from her ears. The look she gave Leeteuk was uncertain and torn. "It's okay," he nodded, his voice quiet. "Go ahead."

Slowly, she moved around from Leeteuk and headed for the back, her feet whispering quietly over the floor. As she disappeared into the back, the shopkeeper gestured to a small changing room off to the side. "Please," he offered, a strange mixture of anxiety and relief flashing across his face.

Nervously, the group shifted throughout the store. While Leeteuk and Eunhyuk moved to get changed, the other four drifted, examining the remaining wares and keeping an eye on the back door and the front for that matter. The shop had been quiet except for them, but that was likely to change at any moment.

By the time the pair were finished changing, a very bewildered but happy Yorin stepped out from the back, followed by a pensive Eleanara. The shopkeeper was positively beaming as the young man stepped out and he rushed to him joyfully, "Yorin!"

"Dad!" the young man responded as he embraced the older man enthusiastically, all traces of pain gone. "I'm…I'm healed," he murmured quietly, still in awe of what had just happened.

The older man pushed Yorin back and held him at arm's length, looking him up and down in amazement. "They did it." Still grinning, he stepped around Yorin and went to take Eleanara's hands appreciatively. "Thank you," he sighed. "Thank you thank you thank you," he stated again as he fell to his knees and held her hands to his forehead in praise.

Distinctly uncomfortable, Eleanara plastered a smile to her face and tried to step back. "You're welcome," she said quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leeteuk, Kharin and Siwon start to move in her direction immediately. "It's okay now," she tried again to remove her hands from his. "It's okay."

"Dad," Yorin stated quietly, coming up at the same time that the other three did, seeing Eunhyuk moving not that far behind them.

Recognizing that he may have gotten a little carried away, the shopkeeper smiled and apologized. "Forgive me. I'm just so happy," he explained, allowing Yorin and Siwon to help him to his feet as he finally let go of Eleanara's hands. She fled to Leeteuk immediately and hid behind him, shaken by the intensity of his reaction.

"We're glad we could help," Siwon assured him, patting the shopkeeper on the shoulder and guiding him back around the counter where Yorin was already trying to lead him.

"See," Yorin's father murmured exuberantly to his son. "I told you there was hope. The Elementalists healed my son," he grinned.

"Thank you for the trade," Kharin bowed slightly, subtly gesturing for the others to start moving for the door.

With many more profuse thanks following them out the door, the group fled as quickly as possible, a sense of unease following them. They had betrayed themselves but it had been impossible not to. Faced with such desperation, they were nigh on helpless themselves. With Eleanara's hand protectively closed in his, Leeteuk led them to the general store. "Well…let's make this quick."

Seeing as they had their amulets considerably more covered than the last shop and they knew specifically what they wanted, replacing the lost travel goods was simple enough. In a hurry to depart, Leeteuk did not bargain as well as he could have and figured he had probably been overcharged but he was more than happy to get out without being further discovered. The weapons they would have to address at a later time as they had almost gratefully run out of daylight and needed to find a place to rest. The inn was the obvious location and they headed there quickly, taking note of one oddity being that the majority of the persons they could see were women, children and a handful of older couples. After hearing Yorin's story, it wasn't hard to figure what had happened…

As they had figured, the Traveler's Rest was a bit quiet and they preferred it that way. Leeteuk got them one room to share, earning a curious look from the innkeeper, determined to keep everyone together tonight. He was not the only one nervous about their exposure earlier and only Kyuhyun made a token protest of having to share the bed or sleeping on the floor.

Even more so than their usual stops in the inns in the past, bathing, while glorious after their days on the road, was very abbreviated and they took the food to their room. As a precaution, they pushed the one bed up against the door and shoved the other to the far side of the room to make more floor space. The sleeping rolls came out, layered to provide more cushioning from the hardwood floor and there was a brief discussion as to who would sleep on the floor and who would take the bed. Eventually they decided that Kharin and Summer would take the bed against the door as a precautionary measure and that Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk would take the one at the window, now barred for a similar reason. Leeteuk and Siwon flanked Eleanara protectively as she nestled between them on the floor.

The sounds of the inn and their own nervous tension kept them awake longer than they wanted. At last though, they all drifted to sleep and the morning came early for them. The same thing that had kept them awoke woke them before their normal time…nerves. There were none of the normal morning antics as they picked themselves up and prepared to face the day.

"Are we going to eat here or on the road?" Kharin asked as she pulled the bed back from the doorway and retrieved her pack.

"The road," Leeteuk answered immediately. "I don't want to linger here any longer than we need to," he stated seriously.

The others nodded at the statement. They made one last check of the room before Kharin opened the door and abruptly shut it again, a surprised expression on her face. "What happened?" Eunhyuk asked as he climbed over the bed to get beside her.

Carefully, Kharin peeked out a tiny crack, with Eunhyuk looking over her shoulder and noticed at least five seemingly injured persons sleeping in the hallway outside their door, propped against the walls or just laying out on the floor. Uncertainly, she closed the door again, quietly, and regarded the others. "Well…it looks like word got out…"

"What did you see?" Leeteuk asked, taking a step closer to the door.

"Injured men," Kharin filled in, her expression bewildered. "Like Yorin…" Her green eyes focused on the light elementalist and saw that she had stiffened, caught between wanting to heal them and afraid of the reaction as she had experienced the other day.

Kyuhyun sighed and rubbed his forehead in aggravation. "I knew she shouldn't have healed him the other day."

Siwon reached out and tapped him in the back of the head. "You were just as affected as the rest of us."

The youngest pushed back reactively, his expression cross at which Siwon frowned. "No one asked me what I wanted to do," he stated bluntly, skirting the answer of how he had felt about it overall.

"Stop it!" Summer stated, stepping between them quickly, placing a hand on each of their chests.

Eunhyuk hopped back over the bed and threaded through the group towards the window. "Well let's check here." Cautiously, he pried open the shutter to peer out, grateful that it was warm enough in this part of the country that they did not have glass panes. A sigh escaped him when he closed the shutter quietly too. "Same thing on this side…" Carefully, he looked up as his eyes focused on Eleanara and then the door. "We could help them…"

Various groans spread through the group and more than one placed a hand against their face as they realized they were going to have to walk through them. Resignedly, Leeteuk sighed, "Let's just hope they're not as enthusiastic as Yorin's father…" He remembered clearly the expression the older man had given him the other day and he did not want to see it again…didn't want to have to turn it down like he knew they would have to.

Reluctantly, he stood at the doorway and took another deep breath before pulling it open slowly. Two of the injured men were awake already and reached out to him mmediately. "Please! Help me! I was injured in the war!" "I can't use my arm! Please help me…" and as their voices woke the others, a confusing din of pleading tones blended into one garbled voice all asking for help as the Elementalists tried to make their way through.

"I'm sorry," Leeteuk stated firmly, a sense of panic beginning to overwhelm him. "Please let us through." It wasn't that there were many of them but rather that they were so intense and desperate for aid or some kind of hope. As gently as he could, he pushed the beseeching hands away, having to pry someone's grip off on more than one occasion.

When Eleanara cleared the room, she was immediately grabbed at by the nearest injured man who still wore a bandage over his head and it looked as if he had lost an eye. "Please healer! Please help me!" he cried, dragging on her arm as she shrieked in alarm, trying to pull his hand off with her free one. Immediately, she could feel what was wrong with him and started to heal him, in fact.

Before she could finish, Eunhyuk came around from behind her and forcibly made the man release her. "Let her go," he demanded, pushing the other man back to get him away, a mixture of worry and reluctance written plainly on his face.

"No! Please! Help me!" he cried louder, scrambling back towards them. Even as he was pushed away, another injured person on the other side tried to reach her and Summer intervened, stopping him before he got too close.

Her sais were halfway out before she blanched and shoved them back into their sheaths, tripping him and sending him to the floor with a controlled fall. "Stay back," she told him firmly, her eyes intense and pained.

Leeteuk felt them losing control of the situation. Ahead, past the injured persons were seemingly normal individuals who were watching with a mixture of hope and anger. With a stubborn growl, he grabbed Kharin's hand and pulled. "Come on!" He trusted she would understand what he was trying to do and as he felt resistance when he tried to move forward, he could only hope that they were following too. The injured continued to try and cling while the persons ahead added a new tone to the cries. "Save us, Elementalists! Save us!" "Bless you! The gods have answered our prayers!" "It's your fault this is happening! Enrhyll's just after you!" "Why aren't you fighting!"

Before they had made it out, he heard Eleanara's voice pleading in the middle, "Wait, please. I can help them. Please."

Kyuhyun's voice rose above the fray, angry and sounding slightly panicked. "Get away!" followed by a thud as it sounded like someone hit the floor.

Even Eunhyuk added to the cacophony of sound as he kept repeating over and over, "I'm sorry," as if somehow that would be enough to make them understand.

Leeteuk had no time to look back to see if the others had things under control as he pushed another individual out of the way, trying to open a path. He didn't want to hurt them, but they were so persistent and they kept crowding…

Finally, they made the doorway and the bright rays of the morning sun nearly blinded them as they stumbled into the open. "There they are!" Through squinted eyes, he saw a small band of mostly recovered men and some harder looking women who were brandishing battered weapons and staring at them. "Get them!" came the cry from the front as the pleading crowd followed them out.

Yorin and his father came running out from the nearby equipment shop brandishing well used swords. "Wait!" he yelled at the offensive party, not quite foolish enough to get in front of them but spacing himself off to the side. "They can help us!" he cried, his panicked eyes drifting from the Elementalists to the attackers.

Cries of denial answered him. "They can't beat him!" "Enrhyll's a god! How can they win?" "If we give them up, he will take mercy on us!" The angry, illogical cries continued as the Elementalists banded together, the light elementalist firmly caught in the middle.

The pleading crowd had backed off slightly when the others had aimed to attack them and were shouting at the newest group like Yorin. "We need them!" "Let them help us!" "Don't you dare hurt them!"

"You're all daft if you think Enrhyll will stop if he has us!" Kharin snarled, her hands clenched into tight fists at her side.

"Enryhll is no god!" Eunhyuk snorted, wind beginning to play around him and tug at his hair.

Leeteuk looked ahead at the path they had to take, noticing the group clustered before them was only three deep and looked about seven long. There were others beyond them but if they could get through this bunch, they should be able to make it out alright. Firmly, he caught hold of Eleanara's hand and called back, "Get ready!" The mood shifted to one of anxious tension as they tuned in to what he was planning. With a deep breath, he hauled the earth up in the middle of the attackers, raising a mound that rolled them off in every direction, a confusing jumble of limbs and released weapons.

As he pulled the group forward, he shoved the mound back into the earth, smoothing it out and giving them a path to bolt through, though they had to jump over or sidestep the few that had rolled forward. Desperate and angry hands clutched at them, snatching the fabric of their pants and gripping their ankles as they bolted past. Both Summer and Siwon had to kick more than one person to make them let go, feeling sick at the expressions on their faces and the need to use such action.

Defensively, Siwon covered their trail with a wave of water that knocked any further pursuers to the ground, tripping them up in the swift currents. Eunhyuk provided a steady, forceful stream of wind that deterred additional persons from the front and side, the occasional gust enough to knock them from their feet. Kyuhyun let the threat of fire speak for itself, a ball of flame floating in his hand as he ran. More than one man turned aside, raw fear on his face when he looked at the fire elementalist's expression. Kharin used darkness spheres to confound the stragglers on her side and jump kicked one idiot who kept running at them regardless of being unable to see. "Go away!" she snarled, recovering her footing easily enough and pounding after the rest.

Hearts pounding, they heard the cries behind them continue long after they had made the end of the crossroads and the party kept running until silence was their only companion. When they finally slowed up enough to look back, they confirmed they had lost their pursuit and as one, stopped to breathe, hands resting on knees or behind their heads as was their wont. They were all shaken by the reactions they had seen in the village and it showed on their clouded faces.

"Is everyone alright?" Leeteuk finally asked as he looked over the party to make sure none of them had suffered any wounds. Other than being tired, the party looked alright.

"Except for being chased by insane villagers, I'm fine!" Kyuhyun snapped, pacing in agitation.

"I'm good," "Me too," Kharin and Eunhyuk assured him, giving him a weak smile and thumbs up signs.

"Same here," Siwon waved, rolling his shoulders to readjust the pack. Summer gave him a half-hearted wave and sat down, fidgeting with the straps on her pack distractedly.

Eleanara finally looked up and nodded, giving a small chirp from the back of her throat as confirmation. She unconsciously rubbed the spot on her arm where she had been grabbed, a handprint bruise forming already.

With a grimace, Leeteuk rubbed the back of his neck and looked up, feeling a twinge of annoyance that the day was so nice, but it had started out so very poorly. "I guess we now know why Yoogin advised us not to show the amulets…"

"Because people are crazy?" Kyuhyun muttered, taking a seat and resting his head on his knees, the intense feel of adrenalin finally draining away.

"Kyu, stop it," Summer stated tiredly, tossing a pebble at him. "We're all okay after all."

"They just wanted help," Eleanara said in a small voice, staring at the bruise on her arm. "They're scared and hurt and they just wanted help…"

"And that's exactly what we're trying to do," Kharin stated firmly.

"I could see they were scared," Eunhyuk sighed, remembering the crazed expression in the man's face as he had grabbed Eleanara. "They just weren't listening."

Siwon spoke quietly, gaze focused on the light elementalist, "I'm not sure their definition of help is quite the same as ours." She gave him a wounded look and then looked down and nodded; the bruise on her arm, gone.

Slowly, Leeteuk released his pack and pulled out a ration, glad they at least had a chance to replenish their supplies. "We'll rest here for a bit and then move on," he announced, pulling out the new map he had found as well. He was grateful they had at least taken the correct fork in the road and were indeed on the right path. They still had a ways to go, but they were still on their feet. Shaken and their faith in their fellow person tested, but still ready to go on. He checked to make sure they were getting a bite to eat and nodded to himself, satisfied when they all had a ration in hand.

He had finished his ration and was looking down the road ahead when he felt a quiet presence at his side. He wasn't surprised to see it was Eleanara. "Thank you," she murmured softly, looking down the road and not at him.

"You can't heal them all," he sighed before he pat her back comfortingly.

"I know…but it doesn't stop the need to do so," she admitted, swallowing hard.

"I know."


	16. Chapter 16

The party resumed their trek, changed by their experience. Concerned about some sort of pursuit, they set a hard pace, heading out early in the mornings and pressing on as long as they dared at night before full dark came upon them. Those with the greater endurance helped keep the pace, steadily pulling those who tired quicker. Watches at night were set and the fire was doused early to prevent any light from giving them away.

Wary of the very people they had set out to save, the group was skittish when any person passed by. Most were like themselves; travelers and small groups of families seeking safety. Others were obviously soldiers or even deserters and a handful of merchants who regarded them just as warily as they did. Hooded eyes observed them carefully and then dismissed them entirely when they were out of sight behind them. Only once did they have to worry about a patrol which they saw coming, thanks to the pennants the group carried, bright cloths flapping lazily in the breeze.

On either side of them for quite a ways, there was not much to hide behind… Fields and open plains dominated the terrain, beyond which did lay some forested areas, well out of reach. The tension in the group rose noticeably as they noticed their lack of cover. If was fair to concede that the patrol could see them, though likely they were as yet unrecognized.

Leeteuk grimaced. If they fled at all, that would be highly conspicuous and he really did not wish to fight again… The very thought left a bad taste in his mouth as these men were not that different from the injured they had seen in Farwell. If Enrhyll was actually looking for them, their very number was conspicuous as well, though. It wasn't impossible that he even had an idea of what they looked like… What Siwon said several days ago came back to him and he paused in the path, looking back to regard the water elementalist with a thoughtful expression. What if Enrhyll could scry…?

Siwon noticed the look, confused by the pause in their trek. "What?" he asked, looking over the earth elementalist at the slowly approaching patrol.

"I'll tell you later," Leeteuk waved off the question. The others could sense his unwillingness to fight and they shifted uncertainly. They were the enemy after all…but they were also fathers and sons too…

Thinking out loud, Kharin sighed, "They're bound to notice if we just disappear."

"We should just get this over with," Kyuhyun sighed, resigned to fight, since it did not appear there was much of any other option.

"Can't we just put them to sleep?" Eunhyuk asked hopefully, glancing at Siwon.

"We could," Siwon nodded, but then shrugged, "but I wouldn't want them behind us either." None of them knew how long it would make a person sleep for and they were bound to be able to put two and two together as to their direction when they woke…

"Well what if we just disoriented them?" Summer asked, looking around the group.

"Can we make them forget?" Eleanara asked uncertainly, grasping for straws.

Leeteuk and Kharin's eyes met at the question and it seemed they both had a thought. Kharin smiled. "Well, seeing that we're not going to run and we've decided not to fight, what would you have us do?"

"I think I have an idea," Leeteuk finally smiled, a genuine one this time. "Come here," he waved as they gathered close to share in his plan. It did not take long to explain and, given the circumstances, they were all inclined to try. Kyuhyun expectedly grumbled, but the rest were in favor. A quick glance up showed the patrol nearing them, faces becoming noticeable in the closing distance. There was no turning back now as the group began to take interest in them.

"Here we go," Siwon smiled as he stepped into the front. He closed his eyes as he felt the water in the air, recognizing with a start that it was probably going to rain in the near future. Immediately, he pushed the thought aside and focused on his part.

Around the water elementalist, a thick fog began to rise into the air, white and obscuring. As the mist formed, Eunhyuk caught it with the wind, propelling it ominously towards the patrol, a roiling cloud of dense fog. The patrol was not stupid and they recognized immediately what the cause was, as they slowed down and called warnings to each other, very well aware of what they had run into. They were, however, quite blind and with Eunhyuk's wind to keep the mist enshrouding them, the patrol had no way of knowing where they were in relation to the party on the road.

At the ready, the others stood tense and quiet, alert for any escapees. Leeteuk knelt on the ground with his eyes closed, listening to the men mill about. He could _see _them testing the boundaries. "Kyu," he called softly, surprising the fire elementalist. "Block them in," he directed, taking a second to meet the younger man's gaze.

Kyuhyun swallowed hard. He knew this whole attempt was dumb. The only way to make sure they didn't follow was to incapacitate them or make sure they didn't get up again, but even though he had suggested as much, his stomach rebelled at the thought. He was angry with himself for the betrayal of his body. With a smirk, he focused that aggression on the requested task and quickly but skillfully raised a fire wall in front of the fog, preventing the patrol from moving forward.

They knew he was successful by the alarmed cries of the men from within as they felt the heat and the temperature rose noticeably. Thus stalled, Leeteuk dropped the ground out from under them, trapping them in a pit. He cringed at the sound of their panicked cries as the situation became too much for all of them.

Finally, Kharin and Eleanara approached as the fog was blown away easily enough and the fire dismissed by Summer. Before they reached the pit of crying and angry men, Eleanara called down a ray of light behind Kharin, casting her in shadow and briefly blinding the men in the pit as they stared up at the dark figure peering down at them. Cast in light, her features were unrecognizable but the stir of power was impossible to miss as she met their eyes and called upon the shadows to hide this moment from them. It was a small patrol, no more than fifteen or sixteen men, but the effort cost her. Proudly, she maintained her position until she was she had reached them all, pulling a shadowy veil over their distraught minds.

Confused expressions looked around and she motioned for Eunhyuk and Siwon to move up. The pair came to stand in the light and both reached down to the men. Siwon let the mist of sleep drift down and Eunhyuk hurried the cause, carrying them quicker into that blessed embrace.

With a sigh, Kharin sagged and the pair beside her caught her swiftly. "Are you okay?" Eunhyuk asked, holding her steady with one hand and using the other to brush her cheek and smooth her hair back with an open palm.

Siwon grinned at the gesture even as Kharin nodded with a tired smile. "I'm fine. It just took more than I expected."

They were startled when Leeteuk raised the earth again, bringing the soldiers back to ground level. "I can't leave the road that way," he explained, shrugging. Quickly, he headed over to the group of moderately piled bodies and began retrieving the weapons.

Summer banished the ray of light and then stepped in to help, followed shortly by the others. Kharin tried at first but then felt her head spin when she bent down to retrieve a weapon. "Ohhh…" she murmured before she took a seat and rested her head on her knees.

Eleanara drifted by and pat her shoulder sympathetically. "It'll pass," she assured the recovering woman.

When the weapons were retrieved, Leeteuk made another hole that the blades and halberds sunk into before he looked at Kyuhyun. Easily, the earth elementalist gestured at the hole and nodded once.

Kyuhyun's brows drew together in thought and finally he nodded. The fire elementalist stepped up to the edge and stared at the weapons sitting there. They weren't anything special; just so many blades and long weapons, but they had the potential to cause so much harm in the wrong hands. Their fight was far larger than they had ever anticipated but they had to take small victories where they could and if he could not stop the people that used these damn weapons, then at least he could destroy the tools themselves. With all the pent up frustration he still held from those who had taken up arms against him and the others, he incinerated the items. Wood burned to ash in the blink of an eye while the blades were melted down, nothing more than a pool of benign metal.

The fire was so hot, the others felt it even as far back as Kharin and Eleanara were, but it lasted only a short time before nothing remained of the original weapons. Kyuhyun nodded at the work done and brushed his hands together once. It was not much, but for now…it was enough. As he stepped away, Leeteuk covered over the hole and regarded the others evenly. "Well done," he congratulated, proud of the way they had managed to work together and hopeful that when these men did wake, they would simply just go on with their lives. If nothing else, he hoped, like all the others, that they had no memory of the Elementalists ever being here.

"Up you go," Eunhyuk smiled, giving Kharin a hand up, moving his hand so that it rested briefly on her lower back as he sought to make sure she was steady as he stood beside her.

Completely uncharacteristically of Kharin, she giggled and then promptly half-snorted to cover it. Eunhyuk laughed at her response to which she replied, "What? I could have gotten up myself."

"I know," he assured her, removing his hand from her lower back to pat her shoulder in a friendly gesture instead. He looked over at the sleeping patrol one final time and he frowned at them in thought. He hoped they wouldn't follow them. If they did, next time they might not be able to be quite so nice…

Strangely elated by their success, the group started to head out again. With a sly look at Kyuhyun, Siwon hurried up to Summer and threw an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Well that certainly turned out better than expected."

Summer nodded and brought one hand up to lightly grab his forearm. "It did. You've all gotten much better," she admitted, remembering when they had started this journey they had pretty much been throwing power blindly.

She did not notice Kyuhyun's eyes following them, a mix of annoyance and confusion in his gaze. Siwon had saved his life not that long ago, so he owed him a fair bit, but did he have to walk quite so close to Summer…?

"We've all grown," Leeteuk smiled, coming behind Eleanara and giving her a gentle push to propel her forward as they brought up the rear. Both glanced over at the sleeping patrol on their way. Eleanara in particular was pleased they had been able to allow both parties to get by, unscathed.

Very briefly, a frown creased Enrhyll's forehead before he quickly smoothed it out, erasing any imperfection in his face. Instead, he pursed his lips as he watched the Elementalists walk away from the patrol that had been so neatly dispatched… The water shimmered as if reflecting his mood while he thought. They had definitely gained control over their power. It was not something he was overly concerned about, as he was a god after all, but their combined strength might well be a nuisance he didn't want to have to deal with.

"My Lord?" the young woman asked, holding a tray of tea delicately beside him as she tried to catch a glimpse of what he was looking at so intently.

"Yes, Hana?" he asked softly, his gaze never leaving the pool of clear water.

Carefully, she stood up on her toes to try and see better and the tray shifted slightly, rattling the cup on the saucer just the tiniest bit. Immediately, she settled herself and focused on Enrhyll as he turned dark eyes to focus on her. As she always did, she felt herself falling into the depths when she looked at him and had to take a breath. "I brought you your tea, my Lord," she finally smiled, meeting his gaze for only a few seconds more before dropping her eyes respectfully.

Enrhyll regarded her simply. She could not see what he saw in those depths, no matter how hard she tried. Her concern was almost laughable. What did he have to fear? Gracefully, he stepped up and moved in front of her. As she held the tray, he effortlessly poured himself a cup of tea by guiding the water from the teapot to the cup without ever touching either. "Am I your god, Hana?" he asked her pointedly as he elegantly picked up the delicate cup and tasted a sip.

Surprised, Hana answered immediately, "Of course, my Lord. You are the only god," she assured him with a curtsy.

He reached out under her chin and raised her face up to look at him. Easily, he stood a head taller than her and he smiled as he watched the adoration in her eyes. "And what would you do, Hana, if someone wanted to hurt me? Someone with power?" The adoration shifted to genuine horror. "If someone were to challenge me and the divine power that I wield?"

"My Lord. Such infidels would deserve death," she answered fervently.

Enryhll favored her with a smile that one would give a misguided child. "Would it not be better to show them the error of their ways?"

"But, my Lord-" she started to say before he overrode her.

"Do you not think I can take care of myself?" he asked her, a dangerous tone to his voice.

"That's not what I meant, your Lordship," Hana hurried to cover her words. "If it is your desire, of course they should be converted," she spoke swiftly, determined not to disgrace herself further.

"Good," Enrhyll murmured in satisfaction. Pleased, he kissed the top of her head condescendingly and waved her off. "You may go now."

"Yes, my Lord," Hana curtsied and departed, feeling as if she were walking on air, a silly smile on her face as she removed herself.

Without conscious thought, Enryhll flicked his hair back over his shoulder and resumed his seat, the cup of tea still poised elegantly in his slim, manicured hand. He took another sip of the warm liquid and smiled haughtily. To himself, he simply murmured, "I desire it to be so, and so it shall be," before he leaned forward to watch them for just a while longer.


	17. Chapter 17

When at last they were able to put some distance between themselves and the unconscious patrol, the party began to feel at least a little better about the situation. Not to say that they weren't constantly looking over their shoulders, but as no pursuers appeared, they stopped unconsciously holding their breath.

Quickly moving in to overshadow them in the growing gloom were the storm clouds Siwon had predicted. "I wish I hadn't been right," he sighed as he promptly fished out his rain cloak.

As the group paused to watch it approach, Kyuhyun muttered, "You knew and didn't think to let us know?"

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway," Kharin stated dryly as she pulled her cloak on.

"It's not as if he could have stopped it," Eunhyuk laughed at the absurdity of the idea.

Faintly, they heard thunder rumble from inside the clouds and were able to see dim flashes of light within the thunderheads. Summer groaned, giving voice to the general feel of the group.

"Maybe it just looks bad…" Eleanara stated hopefully, though it was obvious even she didn't believe that.

"Right…" Kyuhyun stated dryly.

It did not take them long to find out. The wind hit them first, surprising them with its force as it grabbed at their cloaks. "Whoa!" Eunhyuk exclaimed as he briefly wrestled with the brunt of the force before he was able to split the wind around them. He grinned at the relief in their expressions and shrugged. There was too much to divert entirely but what got through was manageable.

Not so for the rain… The elementalists watched as the leading edge raced for them, a visible curtain of water that soaked the ground beneath it in an instant. The rain hit them, a physical force that they felt stinging through the cloaks and working past the repellent barriers they all wore. In mere moments, they were soaked through as they attempted, vainly, to continue onward.

Leeteuk pulled Eleanara close. "Can you provide us a light?" he asked, struggling to be heard over the now torrential downpour.

She didn't even try to respond verbally. The light elementalist picked her hand up and in the next moment, a bright orb was floating above her head. It pierced the gloom enough to show them the puddles already forming even with the water running off the path in small streams.

Leeteuk guided them off the path, trusting the others to follow after. When they stopped and he looked back, he was glad to see that he had not been wrong. As a flash of lightning streaked by overhead, a resounding clap of thunder filled the air and he found Eleanara pressing close, trembling slightly.

As quickly as he could, he raised a shelter large enough for all of them and slightly higher than normal. In a bid to keep Eleanara next to him, he held her close and waved the others in, watching Eunhyuk and Kharin bolt in and head for the back while Kyuhyun, Summer and Siwon took the right side. He ushered Eleanara in and positioned himself on the outermost edge across from Siwon.

"Well, that was certainly exciting," Eunhyuk smiled in an effort to break the tension in the group as they shucked soggy packs and dripping cloaks.

Kyuhyun snorted but, like the rest, laughed half-heartedly. Summer poked Siwon, "Did you expect it to be quite so…?" Her voice trailed off as they watched the water pour down, glinting in the light still active.

"Not really," he shrugged, holding his hand out to feel the droplets pummel his palm.

Unobtrusively, Leeteuk made small adjustments to the shelter; extending the overhang, adding spots to hang their cloaks and creating a slope for excess water to drain out at the corners. "It's not home, but it should do for now," he smiled uncertainly.

An awkward pause descended as seven pairs of eyes looked around. Their stop had not been planned and as such none of them were sure where to start. Siwon finally brightened and he began, "What was it you were talking about earlier, Teuk?"

For one moment, he was horribly confused and then managed to recall the thought from earlier. "Right. I was wondering if you were able to scry?" As soon as he asked, the thought made him mildly uncomfortable again.

Siwon thought about it and nodded. "I believe so. I haven't tried it yet though. Why?" Once the question came out, understanding hit him. "I see…"

"Does that mean he can see us?" Summer asked nervously. She was not alone in that feeling.

"Didn't we already figure that he knew about us?" Eleanara asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Yes, but if he can see us, we have no element of surprise," Kharin supplied, with a sigh.

With a derogatory snort, Kyuhyun stated bluntly, "Whether he knows we're coming or not, the result is still going to be the same." His matter of fact attitude made most of them chuckle as he sat with one arm resting on a raised knee, slightly leaning back, the image of cocky confidence.

"Is everything so black and white to you?" Kharin asked intently, annoyed by his seeming lack of concern.

"Yes," he stated, meeting her gaze. "We have neither the time nor the room for gray," he assured her.

"We _live_ in a world of gray!" Kharin stated heatedly as she stared at him, sitting immediately next to her.

Before Kyuhyun could respond, Leeteuk spoke up, "Calm down, both of you! Arguing isn't going to help us," he explained as calmly as he could.

Riled, the fire elementalist responded, "You're one to talk. You act like you know what you're doing but you're as lost as the rest of us!"

A stunned silence fell as the group looked between the two. Leeteuk's face fell and Kyuhyun looked away immediately after. Eleanara reached out to touch Leeteuk's arm softly and he sighed, "He's right."

"Kyu's just saying stuff like he always does," Eunhyuk tried to say, worriedly looking between Leeteuk and Kyuhyun.

"No," Leeteuk spoke again. "I have no idea what I'm doing." He laughed bitterly.

"The blind leading the blind," Summer muttered. "Great…"

"The one thing I wanted to do was protect you. All of you," he continued, opening his hands to encompass all of them. "And I can't…"

"Of course you can't," Eleanara stated, as if the very thought was absurd. "We might be the Elementalists, but we're still human. Not one of us can do everything all the time." She looked to the rest for support.

"We all need help sometimes," Siwon agreed, meeting Eleanara's gaze and then Leeteuk's.

"And that's what families do. They help each other," Eunhyuk smiled as he slung an arm around both Kharin and Eleanara who were on either side of him.

Leeteuk managed a weak smile at that. "So what is this 'family' going to do about our situation now?"

The mood had lightened a bit but a pall drew over them at the thought.

"We keep moving forward," Kharin stated softly as she held to Eunhyuk's arm lightly.

"We've made it this far together," he agreed, giving her a friendly squeeze.

"But for what?" Kyuhyun asked, bitterness in his voice.

Summer sighed next to him. "We were sent out here to save the world…"

"Why should we, when we see how quickly the world turns on us?" Kyuhyun persisted, latent anger still simmering at the betrayal they had faced.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Siwon stated, though even his response seemed a bit lacking.

"But is that enough?" Leeteuk asked, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. They had done the right thing and it had burned them for their efforts.

"If not for them…then how about for us?" Eleanara asked simply, holding to Eunhyuk's arm for support. "I know I want to live in a world with all of you in it."

"No one ever asked us what we wanted to do," Summer smiled sadly, meeting Eleanara's gaze. She at least had a short childhood at the manor before she was taken. The others hadn't even had that… "We were just taken to the monastery and told what we were. The choice was never ours to make."

"And now they shove us out here and expect us to do exactly what they told us to do. Never mind what we might want," Kyuhyun sat up and regarded the half-circle intensely.

Siwon spoke up then, slowly, "The outside world is not what I expected it to be. There was so much they didn't tell us in the monastery." His face clouded over briefly as he recalled the dark times they had faced only recently. "I don't know about saving the world. I don't know that I could even if I wanted to. But I want to think…no. I know I would save all of you."

At the unexpected words, he saw consideration wash over them. "Everyone has told us time and again that we're the only ones who can stop him. I'm not sure how true that is or not, but we have a choice," Leeteuk smiled, a wondrous expression that lit up his face at the mere thought.

"So what's it gonna be guys?" Eunhyuk asked, looking down at both girls under his arms and then all the way around.

"Obviously, we're going to stop Enryhll," Kharin nodded, nudging Eunhyuk lightly in the ribs with a gentle elbow.

"But we're going to stop him for us. Because we choose to," Eleanara beamed, for once her face free of that shadow of worry she always seemed to have. Agreeable nods accepted the fact around the shelter, and just like that, the tension they had been carrying was gone. Outwardly, nothing had changed in the slightest. Enrhyll was still the enemy. People were still going to get hurt in the meantime and the war was going to rage until it was stopped one way or the other. For the Elementalists, the change was impossible to miss. They had finally made a choice.

Despite the storm outside and everything that had happened before, they felt a semblance of comfort in the stone shelter. At Kharin's urging, before Eleanara could get away, Eunhyuk caught her completely unawares and tickled her relentlessly. Her helpless, delighted laughter made everyone grin as it was a sound they had not heard often enough of late. He relented when she was breathless and then threatened Kharin with similar treatment, but a familiar warning glare fended him off.

"Scared?" Kyuhyun chuckled, a gleam in his eyes.

"Why don't you give it a try and see what happens?" Eunhyuk responded with a grin, earning him another glare from Kharin which she then turned on Kyuhyun to the wind elementalist's amusement.

It looked as if Kyuhyun actually debated it for a moment before he smirked and waved a hand at her dismissively, looking elsewhere. "Nah. It's not worth it," he laughed, still looking away.

Kharin gave his shoulder a shove when he wasn't looking and sent him bumping into Summer. "Hey!" she cried in mock indignation, a giggle completely ruing the image. "You're terrible," she sighed instead, helping to right him.

"So you say," Kyuhyun chuckled as he took a look around.

Siwon had moved closer to speak with Leeteuk and Eleanara and Eunhyuk were speaking animatedly. The light elementalist was using her arms and Eunhyuk's to demonstrate something or other. Kharin was listening in on them and then Summer reached over to hand him a bite to eat.

Gradually, their discussions wound down and at last, the group settled down almost exactly where they had ended up. The constant sound of the rain had lightened just a bit and Summer had banished the light so only the occasional flash of lightning in the distance disturbed them.

They had decided to keep a watch, just in case, and Siwon had agreed to take first watch. They figured they could just move around the half-circle for their order so they wouldn't have to risk stepping on anyone in the dark. When it came time for Kyuhyun to wake Kharin, she stirred quickly, seemingly only half-asleep.

"You're up," he confirmed quietly as he returned to his sleeping roll.

Kharin could just make out his figure in the dark and she chewed her lip in thought. No one else was up so this was as good a time as any. Still lying down, she asked, "Kyu?"

"Hm?" he murmured in mild surprise. She wasn't one for small talk typically.

"Umm…" she started nervously, unsure how to progress.

Kyuhyun waited a second and then sighed, "If that's all you have to say, I'm going to sleep."

Kharin grumbled under her breath and muttered, "You're an ass."

He snorted in amusement, "Someone's gotta be." Even though he couldn't see her, he could feel Kharin watching him. "What?" he grumbled, wishing she would say it already.

"Kyu… What did you mean when you told us to stop fli…flirting?" she asked quietly. In the next moment, she felt her cheeks grow warm as she could feel rather than see his incredulous expression.

"I meant exactly what I said," he stated bluntly.

"We weren't flirting," she denied half-heartedly.

Kyuhyun smacked his forehead and chuckled. "You were both flirting."

"We're just friends," she persisted, arguing with herself as much as with him. "Besides, Hyuk doesn't see me that way."

"Whatever you say, Kharin." Kyuhyun took a breath and laughed again, genuinely amused. "Really, you're as bad as Leeteuk."

Now it was Kharin's turn to snort. "I am not."

"Uh huh," he responded noncommittally. When he felt her continue to watch him, he grumbled, "Would you just take your watch and let me sleep?"

After a pause, "Fine." Kharin sat up quietly and looked down at Kyuhyun in the darkness, pondering his words. Slowly, she let her gaze travel to her other side and, even in the dark, she could see every feature of Eunhyuk's face. She smiled, shyly, and the feeling of warmth it prompted spread through her. Kyuhyun was an ass, but every now and then he was right…

Contrary to the weather of the previous day, the morning dawned cool and sunny, only slightly humid from the rain. Most of them were at least a little stiff for having slept on a stone platform, but the general air was one of readiness. Rations were retrieved while the shelter was cleaned out and returned to normal. There was nothing left behind to indicate that they had even spent the night there except for a relatively dry space and footprints in the soft, grass covered soil. Even though the rain had stopped, there were still puddles everywhere and it did not take long for their feet to be soaked…and that was just from being in 'camp'.

On the road, it was worse due to all the mud. There was more than one occasion where they had to detour around a muddy quagmire that promised more trouble than it was worth. The one good thing about the rain though, was that it cleared the roads of most travelers. In fact, the only other persons they found that day were two men about their age who had managed to get their horse drawn wagon mired in one of the mud holes they would have gone around.

The elementalists stopped well before they reached the struggling duo vainly trying to get themselves unstuck. Both men were mud spattered, as was the gray horse attached to the front of the cloth covered wagon. Carefully, they scanned the surrounding area. It seemed odd that anyone would have managed to get stuck…

"What do you guys think?" Leeteuk asked from the front where he had resumed the lead.

"I think they look stuck," Eleanara stated, tilting her head to the side in thought. She grinned when Leeteuk gave her a sidelong look, though he didn't try to hide the lopsided smile that came to his face.

"It couldn't be a trap could it?" Kharin asked as she continued to scan the area.

"It's not that suspicious," Siwon shrugged as he regarded the pair ahead.

"No one but us on the road and a mired wagon and that's not suspicious," Kyuhyun asked suspiciously, one eyebrow raised in response to the statement.

"Not after last night's storm," Eunhyuk chuckled, looking back at the distance they had covered so far. It was starting to look less wet but was by no means anywhere near dry with several dark mud holes still littering the path.

Summer smacked Kyuhyun's back with an open palm and laughed, "It can't be any worse than what we've faced before."

While Kyuhyun grumbled and winced, the others chuckled at the statement. Unless appearances were vastly deceiving, it looked as if the travelers just had a bad bit of luck.

"Let's see what happens," Leeteuk laughed lightly as he started them down the road again.

As they got closer, they were able to get a better look at the pair and their dilemma. The small wagon was quite stuck with the wheels sunk in nearly a third of their height. As the back was currently covered with a thick cloth, it was impossible to tell how heavy it was, but based on the amount of mud on the persons and the horse, it appeared they had been there for at least a little while.

The two men wore bright clothes and it was immediately obvious they weren't villagers or anything else the group had really seen. The one up to his shins in mud, pushing the wagon from the back, had what appeared to be a dark brown vest on top of a deep green tunic with burgundy colored pants and a pair of very dirty boots. Medium length light brown hair tapered to just above his shoulders, clinging close to his head. The one in the front, attempting to pull the horse forward, wore a similar cut of clothes with a slightly darker brown vest, brown pants of the same color and a cobalt blue tunic. Both had dark brown travel cloaks slung over the wagon, the hems spattered with more mud.

Completely focused on their task at hand, they did not notice the party approach until Leeteuk called out, "Hello."

The one in the back turned awkwardly to face them, mud clinging stubbornly to his legs. He had a young face, framed by his hair and right then, his almond shaped, brown eyes were looking at them with welcome and hope. "Well hello there," he started with a smile and a half bow. "I don't suppose you could be convinced to give us a hand?" he asked, expression open and hopeful.

His easy smile was infectious, as the group quickly found out when they returned it without thought. Except for Kyuhyun who asked, "And who might you be?" before anyone else could say anything.

"Please forgive my over-enthusiastic companion," the man from the front requested as he came around to join him at the back, feet slogging through the mud. He was taller than the other man, with sharper features, though he shared the almond shaped eyes. Brown hair that glinted with reddish highlights in the sun crowned his head and he brushed one of the strands quickly from his dark brown eyes as he smiled at them in turn. "I am Zhou Mi and this is Henry," he bowed politely. "We are, or rather were," he started glancing significantly at the stuck wagon, "traveling minstrels."

"Pardon the question but, how did you not notice the mud hole?" Leeteuk asked, smiling slightly at the blunder.

The pair grinned sheepishly and ducked their heads. "Our own fault really," Henry explained. "We got lost in one of our songs and missed it entirely."

"Songs?" Eunhyuk asked eagerly.

"Yes. We perform at many of the villages we stop in. Henry is astonishing with the violin and I primarily sing." That caught Kyuhyun's attention as he focused on Zhou Mi, reappraising him. The other members of the group were quite intrigued as well since they knew what minstrels were, but they'd never had the chance to actually hear them. The monastery wasn't exactly a place any entertainers would come to due to its location if nothing else.

"So? Do you think you could give us a hand…?" Henry asked again with another winning smile, even as he had no idea what to call them yet.

Leeteuk picked up on the hint immediately. "Leeteuk," he introduced himself with a small bow. The pair bowed in greeting and repeated the gesture as they went around the group, learning each individual's name. It did not take long and once they were finished, the elementalists exchanged looks and shrugged. Henry and Zhou Mi were so disarming, they felt a little bad that they hadn't already offered to assist.

"Certainly," Siwon smiled from the back, sensing that they had already shifted in that direction anyway.

"Wonderful," Zhou Mi grinned, placing his hands together in quiet thanks with another small bow before he returned to the front.

Carefully, the group found a relatively dry spot to place their packs and, with a reluctant grimace at the mud, Eunhyuk, Siwon and Leeteuk moved to the back to help Henry push. Kyuhyun volunteered himself to go to the front, where the mud wasn't as bad and Kharin and Summer followed. Eleanara stationed herself with a resigned sigh next to the packs, knowing she would not be much help in this situation. When he noticed the two women coming to assist him, Zhou Mi looked faintly distressed. "Dear ladies. I could not ask that you muddy yourselves further in assisting us."

Kyuhyun laughed to himself at the genteel statement and then looked at Summer and Kharin who both seemed pleasantly surprised. He frowned at the assuring smile they gave Zhou Mi and then sighed. Kharin exchanged glances with Summer and they nodded. "We appreciate your concern, but it's our pleasure. At least it'll wash off," she assured him with a confident nod.

Fairly flustered by the response, Zhou Mi glanced back at Kyuhyun, catching the slight frown and his confusion deepened. "If you wish," he gestured instead, asking that they take the reins and pull from the harness where the mud was much reduced.

"We are ready when you are," Henry called ahead, looking over the top of the wagon at the general exchange with an entertained smile. The three next to him all wore similarly amused expressions.

"Very well," Zhou Mi called back. "On three. One…two…three!" Immediately, the group heaved against the wagon, feeling resistance as the mud clung stubbornly to the wheels. After a brief few seconds of straining to no effect, the wagon inched forward and with the momentum started, continued on and out of the mud until they reached a relatively dry spot.

"Aish," Kyuhyun grumbled as he picked his mud covered feet up for further inspection. Then he noticed the four who had been in the back and pointedly kept his mouth shut.

"Thank you so very much," Zhou Mi began enthusiastically as he bowed to the three in front and then to the three from the back who came around to join the rest with Henry in tow.

"Sorry about your boots," Henry shrugged helplessly as he regarded their hopelessly coated feet.

"As Kharin said, at least mud washes off," Eunhyuk shrugged, unconcerned by it. Siwon and Leeteuk were similarly unconcerned.

"Well, thank you again," Henry bowed as he moved next to Zhou Mi. He paused to look up the road and then regarded the rest of the group. "We're heading to Denmer Lake. I don't know where you're headed but perhaps you'd care to accompany us?"

Excited by the prospect, Zhou Mi grinned and agreed, "Yes. The more the merrier." He gestured theatrically and bowed deeply using his hand to add a little extra flourish.

Eleanara and Summer giggled outright while the rest smiled at the performance. The idea did appeal to them, if only because they were so charismatic. "We are heading that way anyway," Siwon pointed out.

"So we are," Leeteuk conceded. With a final check with the other group members, Leeteuk bowed to the pair and nodded, "I think we'll take you up on that offer. Just let us get our packs and we'll be good," he assured them.

"Wonderful. Oh! I'm sure we can make room for your packs in the back," Henry said excitedly as he went to remove the cloth. The wagon wasn't very deep or long for that matter, but neither was it very full. There were a few hard cases in the back and two packs of their own, but not much else.

At the curious look for the lack of goods in the wagon, Zhou Mi shrugged, "We travel light but our equipment does get heavy. Lute," and he gestured to the gray mare, "pulls the wagon well enough and she's easy to take care of so it actually works out in our favor."

"So it would seem," Eunhyuk grinned, among the first to set his pack in, excited at the prospect of not having to carry it.

The others were already making their way over, setting the packs in neatly. Zhou Mi stepped over to Eleanara and immediately offered, "Allow me, miss Eleanara." Before she could object, he had neatly plucked the pack from her hands and took it to the wagon.

She flushed faintly and smiled shyly, "Thank you, Zhou Mi." Leeteuk noticed the exchange and pursed his lips but didn't say anything. He had been about to do that…

"My pleasure," he smiled simply. "If you ladies would care to, there is room in the wagon for you to sit," he offered politely.

Henry climbed up to the seat where the reins were resting and looked back. "We can't guarantee how comfortable it is but if you'd like the rest, you're more than welcome." Politely, they declined and insisted that they would be fine walking with the others.

"Well if they don't want to, I will," Kyuhyun stated, already moving to the back.

"Kyu…" Summer groaned as she placed a hand on her forehead and sighed.

"What?" he asked, his hand resting on the back.

"Never mind," she waved, looking away.

Leeteuk couldn't help but laugh and then looked back at the pair. "I think we are ready when you are."

"Very well," Zhou Mi nodded, heading up to give Lute a pat on the shoulder.

"Here we go," Henry grinned as he flicked the reins. Steadily, Lute hauled at the harness and pulled the wagon along and as the party started moving, they spread themselves out similarly to their normal walking pattern.

Leeteuk and Eleanara walked next to the wagon on the left side while Siwon and Summer took the right side. Kyuhyun sat in the back of the wagon as he had intended and Kharin and Eunhyuk took up the rear guard. From their vantage point, they had the perfect opportunity to see just how many times Kyuhyun looked over at Siwon and Summer, though his expression was impossible to read since he was facing away from them. Every now and then, Kharin would sneak a glance over at Eunhyuk and she'd have to smile to herself. Once or twice, he caught her and smiled back. The second time, he reached out to trace a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Kharin repeated the gesture on her other side and smiled shyly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled sweetly.

She found herself blushing harder as he didn't look away and she finally had to focus elsewhere. "So what do you think of our new traveling companions?" she asked instead.

Eunhyuk looked at her for a second more and then regarded the duo. "I like them," he said simply, a different smile crossing his face. "I wonder how good they are." The thought that they could play music, and actually performed, made him quite excited. It had been far too long since they'd had any sort of music around them.

"I guess we'll have to find out," she smiled, watching as the pair spoke to each other at the front.

Almost as if they had heard her comment, from the pair came a light hearted song that almost instantly lifted their spirits and made them smile on the whole. They were able to maintain a running list of various songs ranging from light hearted to comical and even a handful of heroic ones. As the day wound down, so did their songs and they switched off, with Henry walking beside Lute and Zhou Mi taking the driver seat.

Eventually, Leeteuk convinced Eleanara to ride in the back of the wagon and Kyuhyun finally stepped out to walk beside Summer, inserting himself between her and Siwon. Zhou Mi started a polite conversation with Eleanara and she listened attentively, responding in turn. She explained that they had actually come from Northsage monastery, which the minstrels had heard about, to their credit, but kept her answers very vague when he inquired as to what they were doing all the way out here. Leeteuk moved up next to Henry and, with an ear towards the other conversation taking place on the wagon, chatted with the violinist in regards to their performances and what they were going to do in Denmer village.

A handful of travelers passed them by later in the day but otherwise, their progress was uninterrupted. As was their usual pattern, the group agreed to stop before full dark as the minstrels did not use torches often, preferring to travel in the daylight hours to prevent injury as much as for their own peace of mind. Who knew what sorts were out and about on the road at night and while camp wasn't much safer in that regard, at least they were more comfortable and prepared.

To the elementalists great surprise, Zhou Mi and Henry offered to share their food, having brought decent travel stores with them in one of the hard cases. "Travel rations get a bit old after a while," Henry explained as he portioned out more food than normal into their travel pot. "We tend to be fond of stew though," he winked.

"But we don't have any bowls," Kyuhyun pointed out, alternately excited about a change in food and annoyed about the lack of utensils.

"We can use our cups," Eunhyuk explained as he went to retrieve his automatically.

"We may have some spare bowls too," Zhou Mi expressed as he pawed through the cases in the wagon.

"We can manage, Zhou Mi," Siwon assured him easily as he went to retrieve his own cup. "Thank you, though."

As it turned out, Henry wasn't a half bad cook and the group enjoyed their first warm meal, outside of the inns they had stayed at, in days. It was a welcome change from the usual fare and they also took the opportunity to remove their still slightly soggy boots and dry them near the fire. The dried mud they could scrape off later but the biggest concern was getting them dry. The grass felt good on bare feet and finally they felt themselves relaxing and unwinding. In new company, it felt odd that they could be as at ease as they were but the minstrels made it easy. Now though, they were vastly intrigued as to the musical prowess of their hosts. While they talked to pass the time, they kept glancing back at the wagon that presumably, still held their instruments. Henry and Zhou Mi smiled when they noticed.

The duo had been performing long enough that they were able to read a group fairly well and this one, they enjoyed teasing just a little bit. They had shown interest enough earlier in their ability and were certain they had not missed Kyuhyun singing along with them quietly a time or two at some of the more well-known songs. Finally though, even they were itching to get out the instruments.

As Zhou Mi and Henry stood up to retrieve their instruments, the rest of the group stopped talking almost immediately and watched the pair intently. When they returned, a case each in their arms, their entire demeanor had changed. They were still mud spattered and a bit worn from the road today, but they looked like performers from the way they carried themselves and how they treated their instruments.

Almost lovingly, Henry removed a well-cared for mahogany violin from the padded casing and inspected it carefully. Zhou Mi brought out what appeared to be a Celtic harp, which the group was familiar with only because they had seen pictures in the monastery. Raptly, they listened as the two minstrels tuned their instruments, a slight frown of concentration on their faces that brightened to a smile instantly when the notes aligned as they wanted.

With a professional smile, the pair finally stood and addressed the seven persons scattered around the fire. "Ladies and gentlemen," Zhou Mi began, holding the harp elegantly with one hand and gesturing theatrically with the other. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Gentleman Mimi."

He bowed politely as he waited for his companion to introduce himself, during which time Kyuhyun could be heard to ask, "Isn't Mimi a girl's name?" Summer promptly smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow!" he cringed, earning another glare from Summer as he was making too much noise. In annoyance, he grumbled to himself and paid attention to the minstrels instead.

Without missing a beat, the violinist bowed and introduced himself, "I am Henry the violinist, at your service." He bowed perfectly with the instrument poised in his hands before righting himself and situating it comfortably against his neck. "Please allow us to perform 'I Am'."

With a deep breath, the two started to play and the elementalists watched in wide eyed amazement as the most intoxicating sounds emerged from the instruments first and then from Zhou Mi as they warmed up to their song. While playing, Henry began to let the music move through him as his body followed the beat. The party was further entranced when he managed that feat without skipping a beat and for the first song, all they could do was watch in awe until it wound down to a close.

When the song finished, the performers bowed, happy grins glowing on their faces. The elementalists clapped enthusiastically and were heard to say such things as, "That was amazing!" "No wonder you're performers!" "How did you learn to do that?" With all the aplomb they had cultivated over time, the minstrels bowed again and waited for the enthusiasm to fade before they attempted their next number.

When they began playing again, Henry took a larger role in vocals as the song was a bit more primal with a heavy dance beat underneath. Eunhyuk found he could not resist the call of the music and soon after they had started playing, he was on his feet, moving freely to the rhythm that thrummed through him. Respectfully, the minstrels watched him while they focused on their own music and had a certain enjoyment to the fact that the rest of their listeners didn't seem to know who to focus on more.

The elementalists had seen Eunhyuk dance many times in the monastery, but the music they had was always rather tame in comparison. This…this music now brought him to life and Kharin wasn't the only one to watch him, fascinated. She was, however, the one to watch him the closest as his lithe body twisted and turned, pausing with the music in a calculated pose and then following the beat perfectly as the sounds shifted. She was caught completely unawares when he moved by their group and enthusiastically pulled her to her feet, sweeping her into the dance whether she wanted to or not.

Thoroughly amused by the bold move, the rest of the group watched and grinned broadly as he pulled her around the improvised dance floor. She was by no means the dancer that Eunhyuk was, but it was clear she was having a very good time as her face was positively glowing when he continued to hold her hands, guiding her through the steps he felt. The entertainment was shared by the minstrels who were smiling just as hard, though Henry was a bit distracted by his own dancing. It was nigh on impossible for him to stand still when he played.

Eunhyuk pulled Kharin close and pushed her away, grinning as they both stumbled occasionally over the other but not caring in the least. For that moment, it seemed for all the world that they really were the only two that were present. It was almost painful when the music stopped as they were forced to pause too, breathing hard. When they saw the rest of them watching them, they burst into embarrassed laughter and rushed to their seats, applauding the song. They weren't sure if the applause from the others was in part for them or not but they made a point to focus entirely on the bowing Mimi and Henry.

"Well done!" Zhou Mi congratulated heartily. "That was most impressive, sir Eunhyuk. Truly you have an ear for the music. And you as well, miss Kharin. Well done!"

The praise, while welcome, also had the side effect of making both blush brightly and they were only glad that the fire didn't illuminate everything that well.

"Thank you," Kharin blushed fiercely as she ducked her head.

At the same time, Eunhyuk grinned, not quite as bright as her, and encouraged, "Please. Continue."

Quite happy to oblige, the duo eased into a bit of a slower song, giving them time to recover. It wasn't a romantic song exactly but it was definitely more of a couples dance. No one moved for the first few seconds and then bravely, Siwon stood up and reached down for Summer's hand. She stared at it for a second and then glanced at the others before she smiled shyly and accepted. It wasn't the most skilled of dances by any means, but as best he could, Siwon led Summer around the fire. While it was never anything they had ever practiced before, it was clear the activity was wholly enjoyable.

The other five watched for a bit longer and then Eunhyuk pulled Kharin back to her feet and danced with her again. Finally, Leeteuk gained the courage to ask the shy Eleanara as well. Caught up in the moment, none of them observed a pouting Kyuhyun who alternated between glaring at Siwon and then watching the others dance. It did not even occur to him to try to cut in until Mimi stopped playing, gently setting the harp on the case and then inserted himself into the dance while Henry continued to play.

Politely, he interrupted Eunhyuk and Kharin, as they had already shared one full dance. Graciously, Eunhyuk bowed out and watched with interest as the more experienced Mimi led her as only one who had been performing as long as they had could. The other two pairs slowed to watch while an uncertain but still excited Kharin tried to follow the more professional dancer. She smiled brightly when the steps started to come together and Eunhyuk laughed to himself, completely understanding that revelation.

While the others were somewhat distracted, Kyuhyun took that opportunity to try and cut in on Summer. "I'll take over now," he stated simply as he grabbed Summer's hand and attempted to pull her from Siwon without even trying to ask.

Confused and annoyed, Summer stumbled out of Siwon's grasp and into Kyuhyun's awkwardly. "Hey. You could ask," she muttered, glancing at the other pairs and back at Siwon who didn't seem to know whether to be affronted or amused just then.

"Why did you have to dance with Siwon first?" he asked instead, struggling to even begin to dance.

"He asked me first," she responded automatically, frowning at the question.

Kyuhyun mumbled, "You could have said no…"

Now Summer just looked cross at the idea. "And you could have asked." As he had no response for that, she glared at him again. "Are we going to dance?"

Faced with the direct question, Kyuhyun struggled for a response and uncomfortable with being put on the spot, muttered, "I don't really want to, anymore." He sort of did actually but he was annoyed enough by her response to be contrary. Summer muttered something unflattering under her breath and promptly stomped on his foot. "Ow!" he winced, immediately letting her hands go and stepping back, a pained expression on his face.

Before things could get too heated, Mimi stepped in. Genteelly, he handed Kharin off to Siwon and then swooped Summer into the next refrain of the song, eliciting an immediate smile from her as he nodded, "Miss Summer."

Surprised by the change in partners, Kharin had to adjust to the more awkward Siwon but he smiled broadly and went with it. Nursing his wounded pride, Kyuhyun grumbled some more and went back to his seat to glare at both Mimi and Summer…

Henry winded the song down and with little more than a pause to readjust himself, launched into another more upbeat song, smiling as he closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the music. Mimi continued dancing, at one pointing handing Summer off to Eunhyuk who shrugged and grinned, before sliding up to beg a dance from Eleanara.

Leeteuk was gracious enough at first, grinning as she was swept away and still holding to the image of her smiling face as they had danced, but as Mimi led her with considerably more skill, he couldn't help but be at least a little bit jealous. She looked so happy… Belatedly, he wished he was that good at dancing but it wasn't something they'd ever had extensive lessons in. Granted, they all knew the basics, but with the exception of Eunhyuk who danced very well on his own, dancing with a partner was a fairly foreign concept for them.

The pairs switched off once more with Mimi stealing Kharin and handing Eleanara off to Siwon before he finally bowed out. He entrusted Kharin to the still standing Leeteuk and moved to rejoin Henry. Seamlessly, he rejoined the music, adding his vocals to the song easily. They watched the pairs reestablish themselves and he had to grin when Eunhyuk was brave enough to drag the still pouting Kyuhyun to his feet and almost push him at Summer. "Just dance already," he laughed as he effortlessly shifted away to take Kharin back.

Uncertainly Kyuhyun took Summer's hand and mumbled, "Do you want to dance?"

Summer debated giving him a hard time about it or not, but as she had already stomped on his foot, she relented and nodded. "I do." Without waiting for anything else to throw him off, Kyuhyun started to dance with Summer and as he finally let himself begin to enjoy the moment, a smile crossed his face, mirrored on hers.

Abruptly, the music changed again, losing the violin entirely as Mimi carried the tune and Henry joined the fray. He was as skilled as Mimi but where the other had been genteel, Henry was more energetic and flirtatious. Easily, he stole Eleanara from Siwon while the former lead went to stand next to Leeteuk who was watching closely. The water elementalist couldn't help but grin as a glower slowly slid over Leeteuk's face as Henry danced with Eleanara much closer than Mimi had. She was blushing but her expression was still one of enjoyment.

Siwon nudged the earth elementalist and the glower immediately disappeared as he focused on the other man. "Huh?"

"Nothing," Siwon chuckled, thoroughly amused.

When the song changed, Henry switched off again, trading Eleanara to Kyuhyun and leading Summer off. The pair appeared thoroughly awkward and attempted to dance with marginal success. Eunhyuk rescued her from Kyuhyun and Kharin took great delight in prompting the fire elementalist to dance, backwardly leading him around the fire.

Sensitive to the mood of their audience, Mimi and Henry watched over them carefully, judging how things were winding up. Henry bowed out sooner than Mimi had, making sure to grab one dance with Kharin before he departed. They played another song, allowing the pairs to get readjusted before Mimi came back and with a broad grin, asked the lone Siwon to dance. Amused by the idea, Siwon accepted and the two made one of the most absurd couples, struggling briefly for who would lead and eventually deciding to take turns throughout the duration of the final song.

Contentedly, the other pairs ended up with their original partners and when Henry finally wound down the song, they all stopped, breathless but highly entertained. Siwon and Mimi bowed to each other before the minstrel returned to pack up his harp, giving Henry a congratulatory hug as he did the same. Slowly, the other pairs drifted apart, smiles still lingering on their lips and in the case of the girls, all three continued to wear a very telling blush.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mimi stated breathlessly. "We must beg our leave but we hope you enjoyed our performance." Together, he and Henry bowed gracefully and then once more as the applause continued, more enthusiastically from the ladies and Eunhyuk.

Almost immediately after they had put the instruments away and returned to the camp, Eunhyuk approached Henry, asking about a few of the moves he had seen the other perform. In seconds, the pair were busy comparing dancing styles and showing each other how some of the more advanced steps were performed.

The ladies clumped together and giggled about how much fun they had, gesturing animatedly and blushing more as they conversed. The remaining men clustered around Zhou Mi, alternating between being jealous of his skill and impressed. Zhou Mi bowed gratefully to Siwon again, glad that he had not been offended by the dance they had shared.

"It was fun," Siwon admitted, grinning sheepishly as he looked at the other two. "Besides, now I know how you felt when dancing with Kharin," he chuckled, focusing on Kyuhyun.

The fire elementalist laughed. "Hah! She'd have to have someone taller than her to lead," he started, pointing at Zhou Mi, "since I sure couldn't see around her." He shrugged helplessly, a blameless expression on his face.

"Kyu!" they heard Kharin's voice sharply and he winced, actually amazed how she had a knack for overhearing everything.

The other three laughed lightly as she glared at Kyuhyun's back but remained where she was. "I think you all did well for not having danced much," Zhou Mi congratulated, bowing out of respect. "It will be a few days yet before we will have to part ways. If you'd care to, we can perhaps practice some more in the coming days?" he offered openly.

"We'll see," Leeteuk immediately answered, not averse to learning but he wasn't sure they could all last like they had tonight. That and he wondered if the minstrels would continue to cut in if they did practice…

"The offer stands," was all Zhou Mi stated, nodding in acquiescence.

That seemed to be enough. While Henry and Eunhyuk were still talking animatedly, the others began to wind down, feeling the hour of night. Carried away by the performance, they had completely lost track of time and as that realization hit, they all started to feel considerably more tired. The euphoric high of dancing started to wear off and sleep sounded like a very good idea. At least, even the two dancers had to bow out and the group, now pleasantly tired, were all quite content to rest. As they had done every night they were able to, the elementalists continued to set a watch, to the amusement and acceptance of the minstrels.

Generally, minstrels didn't have to worry about being attacked, but they didn't mind having a watch. Not quite ready for sleep yet, Eunhyuk volunteered for first watch and they agreed to follow the watch they had the other night with Siwon next and they would continue from there. All in all, their first live performance had been a grand success and they were actually looking forward to the travel time they would spend with the charismatic minstrels.


	18. Chapter 18

Over the course of the next three days, the group spent their time traveling with the minstrels as they speedily made their way down the road. With the burden of their packs removed and the option for the more easily tired of the group to rest in the wagon as they walked, they made good time. Intermittently, they did see additional travelers along the road, though oddly, and gratefully enough, they were curiously lacking in any additional patrols. While glad they did not have to deal with them, it also made the elementalists nervous, though they were careful not to say as much to their traveling companions.

As they progressed, they learned that the pair had actually come from a performance in Farwell Crossing, which prompted muted reactions from the others. Able to read what was not said far better than what was, the minstrels did not press the matter, elaborating only that the turnout had not been as good as previous years. Their usual audience of late had been much reduced and as a result, they were quite glad to share their entertainment with their newest companions.

In the evenings, Zhou Mi and Henry offered entertainment but the subsequent nights were all considerably more low-key than the first evening they had performed. Of his own volition, Kyuhyun added his voice to a couple of their songs, prompting compliments from the performers and winning smiles from his own group. Eunhyuk continued to collaborate with Henry when he was given half the chance and Zhou Mi assisted in instructing the other pairs on partner dancing when the violinist continued to carry the tune. Gentleman Mimi was polite as always, inserting himself only to properly demonstrate a few of the steps before returning the partner when they did dance.

During the day, their conversations were light, if sparing, and the group tended to fan out a bit more than usual. It was not that they lost their cohesive pairings but it felt as if they were more comfortable with each other on the whole. Maybe it was the extended contact from dancing or perhaps the minstrels just had a way about them of making those nearby more comfortable, but the party as a whole talked with each other more.

Eunhyuk approached Summer casually enough. They had recently passed another small homestead off the main road that watched them pass by warily but were otherwise unconcerned. "Hey Summer. Didn't you say that your home was somewhere near the capitol ?"

Surprised by the unexpected question, she had to think about it. It had been a long time since she had thought about home in that regard. After a moment, she nodded. "Silverberg Manor is on the other side of the Angmer River. I think I know how to get there," she mused, mentally trying to retrace the path she had taken so long ago.

"Maybe we can stop by then. You know, say hi to your family," he suggested.

The way in which he said it made her wonder if perhaps he was thinking about his own family. Of them all, she was the only to have any real recollection of her parents and her younger sibling…well maybe siblings by now. They didn't talk about them much since there wasn't any memory there. Now that she thought about it, most of their predecessors had lived solely in the monastery, leaving or staying on when their replacements arrived. Most opted to leave the veritable prison, but now she wondered if any of the older persons in the monastery were perhaps aunts and uncles of their group. They had never asked and no one had ever told them, but that might explain the doting behavior that Chin Hwa had always displayed towards Kyuhyun.

"Summer?" Eunhyuk asked as he waved a hand in front of her face, confused.

Summer laughed and shook herself, trying to recall the immediate question she had been asked. "Sorry," she smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Maybe," she answered with a wistful smile. It could be nice. She wondered how things had changed since she'd been gone. "I guess we'll just have to see how things work out," she shrugged, acknowledging that at the least, it was still several days away. Easily, he agreed as much, a quiet smile on his face.

At least the weather had held after that horrendous storm. It had gotten warmer steadily but not quite to the point of being hot yet and the nights were quite comfortable. The carefree air dimmed a bit later in the third day as the party saw the crossing in the distance where they recognized they would all be parting ways. Despite whatever they had thought initially, the travel had been quite enjoyable and educational as the minstrels had stories and facts about nearly everything really.

Almost reluctantly, Henry brought Lute to a stop at the fork in the road they would be following. "Well…here we are."

"Denmer Crossing," Zhou Mi sighed as he looked up the road they would be taking.

Slowly, the elementalists retrieved their packs from the back of the wagon, setting them on the ground hesitantly and then regarding the two minstrels. "I'm almost sorry we already made it here," Leeteuk laughed lightly. "Thank you for everything," he bowed, reaching out to shake Zhou Mi's hand as Henry climbed down to join them.

"Thank you. All of you," Zhou Mi smiled, somehow managing to give them the impression he was looking at them all individually at the same time. "You have been a most enjoyable audience," he bowed.

"And you have both been amazing company. Mimi. Henry," Eleanara smiled warmly as she bowed politely to both of them.

Zhou Mi grinned at the term as he found it thoroughly amusing the ladies had taken to calling him by his stage name. He was quite fond of it actually. "Lady Eleanara," he reached out and retrieved one of her hands before he very charmingly brushed his lips against the back of her hand. "It has been a pleasure."

To their general amusement, she flushed brightly and smiled harder, giggling as she stepped back towards Leeteuk. He was equally charming to both Kharin and Summer and offered the men warm handshakes, as he had with Leeteuk. Siwon shook Zhou Mi's hand and then pulled him into a friendly embrace, having categorized him as trustworthy days ago.

In typical Henry fashion, he extracted a farewell hug from the three ladies, grinned as Siwon embraced him as well, and shook hands with the rest. He paused in front of Eunhyuk and stated, "Perhaps we can work together again in the future. And maybe next time, I'll have a thing or two to show you," he winked.

"You can count on it," Eunhyuk assured him, excited by the prospect.

It was a curious thing for them to watch the minstrels ride away on the wagon. Before they had gotten too far, the pair called back, "Safe travels on your way to Lornhaldt!"

"Good fortune in Denmer!" Siwon called back, waving broadly. The rest of the group echoed his sentiments with various other farewells. "Good luck!" "Bye!" "Take care!" as they stood in the middle of the crossing, waving until the duo was nearly out of sight.

With the minstrels gone, the light-heartedness they had brought seemed to depart with them, leaving the group resigned to the rest of the journey. As they turned to regard the small gathering of buildings that constituted Denmer Crossing, Kyuhyun summed it up best. "Great. More people…"

They couldn't exactly argue his sentiments. "Let's just get what we need and get moving," Leeteuk sighed with a glance at the sun. They still had plenty of daylight left to put as much distance as they could between them and this place. At least once they had restocked their reduced supplies.

"Good idea," Kharin agreed as the party headed for the general supply store.

As he had been doing a great deal more of late, Enrhyll continued to watch the party as the minstrels left their company. He would have liked very much if he could hear what they were saying but scrying only allowed him to see the present party. The more he watched them though, the more excited he became that they were still coming. They were coming to see him. That was the only reason they were heading for Lornhaldt. It was a heady realization. Impatiently, he waved the image away. They were still so far away though…

"Hana," he called softly as he stood up, flinging his silken locks behind his shoulder in a familiar gesture.

"My Lord?" she asked quietly, never far from his side.

He regarded her closely, watching the emotions play across her face as he looked at her. She had been by his side for a long time now. Even since before he became a god she was nearby. Lately, he was beginning to tire of her as she always reacted the same way, but he had this persistent need to keep her at hand as well… Yes, he was a god, but even he was not going to dismiss the necessity of having a Neutralizer nearby. Easily, he sauntered over to where she stood, attentive and patient. "Do you fear me, Hana?" he asked softly, no trace of what he might have been thinking on his face.

Confusion flickered across hers, easy to read. "I worship you," she answered instead, stepping around the question.

"That's not what I asked, Hana," he persisted, reaching out to grasp her chin lightly in his right hand. In his left hand, he conjured a small flame and brought it near both their faces so that the heat was easy enough to feel. "Do you fear me?" he asked again, slowly, taunting.

At the utter lack of emotion on his face, Hana nodded nervously as she felt herself shake inside. "Yes, my Lord," she whispered fearfully.

Enrhyll smiled as he watched the fear take precedence in her eyes, feeling a familiar rush from the change in emotions. "Good. Now put it out," he commanded her, looking at the flame in his hand still inches from their faces.

Confusion warred with the fear but she responded, unquestioning. "Of course, my Lord." Easily, she reached out and neutralized the flame in his hand with little more than a thought and a gesture.

"Good girl," he murmured, patting her head with the same hand that had held the flame but a moment ago. "Let's go. I feel like taking a stroll," he mused, already on his way out of the room.

Hana hesitated a moment before following him. He was changing again… Why was he changing again? Was it because of the image he saw in the water? Why? He had to know she loved him. Was that not enough? Obediently, she followed after him, a puppy in his wake. It was clear he wanted to walk among his people and when he did so, she had to accompany him.

Calmly, Enrhyll walked outside the palace, the doors held open for him long before he got close. He was followed by a small contingent of guards at his back, mostly for show as he did not need their protection. While he walked, he made sure that a beam of light illuminated his person and he maintained a crown of fire, easily visible and floating several inches above him so as not to risk actually harming him.

The combined appearance of elements never failed to elicit awe and fear in his people. Eagerly, he drank in their emotions, fulfilled by their expressions. Some fell to their hands and knees, bowing deeply as he passed by while others stared in open awe. All eyes were on him and he smiled magnanimously. Graciously, he approached one adoring woman who held a baby in her arms and he carefully caressed the tiny head.

At the gesture, the woman started to cry and thank him profusely for his blessing, backing away respectfully as he nodded once and continued on, oblivious of her after that. He had nearly made a full circuit before a non-believer finally made an appearance. A brazen young man burst through the crowd in front of Enrhyll. "You are no god!" he snarled as he heaved a throwing dagger at the illuminated person in the street, before fleeing.

Carelessly, Enrhyll deflected the projectile with a barrier and then easily caught the attacker by manipulating the very ground beneath his feet. Unable to stop himself, his momentum carried his body forward while his feet remained planted in the ground. He screamed as those nearby heard the audible snap when at least one of his ankles broke. The other leg was bent at an odd angle but seemed whole for the most part.

"Now look what you've done," Enrhyll sighed as he shook his head and knelt next to the pained man. He felt more than saw the general crowd in the area as his most devout followers turned angry gazes on the man for attacking their god. Others seemed more fearful of what was to come. "I have not harmed you in any way and yet you wish me to die."

"You're nothing but a fraud!" the young man spat, curled over in obvious pain as he clenched the broken leg.

"Oh, you poor misguided child," he murmured as he released the broken limb and reached down to grab it firmly, eliciting another cry of anguish.

"Bastard!" he snarled, held prisoner by his anguish.

Enrhyll simply sighed and in the next moment, the broken limb knit back together again. Gasps of amazement came from the crowd all around him as they witnessed his healing ability. "It's a miracle!" "Bless him!" "Praise be to Lord Enryhll!" Even the man on the ground seemed, if not grateful, then thoroughly confused.

"Bring him," Enryhll gestured to the guards behind him, taking note of the venom in Hana's gaze as she glared at the attacker. It disappeared as soon as she noticed him watching her. With an offhand wave, he released the other trapped foot and the guards quickly retrieved him, detaining him effectively as he continued back to the palace. "That was fun now wasn't it?" he asked with a superior smirk as he paused in front of her.

For just a moment, Hana was able to feel the warmth of the light that he stood in as he looked down at her and she felt herself melt all over again. "Yes, my Lord," she agreed as she dropped her head and bowed low.

With another condescending smile she did not see, he lightly touched the back of her head and stated simply, "Come now, Hana. The day grows late."

"Of course, my Lord," she responded automatically, standing up and following along in his shadow.

Without too much trouble, the group was able to resupply in Denmer Crossing. Leeteuk had volunteered to head in by himself while the others had remained outside to reduce their exposure as much as possible. In a fraction of the time it usually took them, they were back on the path to the capitol, packs settled reluctantly against their backs. It had been nice not having to carry them for the past few days.

Another side effect the group soon found was that without the minstrels, travel was considerably more boring. Granted, it had been before they had met up with them, but the stark contrast was astounding. They had all understood it would take them a while to reach the capitol but hearing about it and then walking it were two entirely different things. Kyuhyun finally stepped up to Leeteuk while they were on the path. "How far have we gone, Teuk?" he queried, reaching out to grab the older man's arm lightly.

The party paused as Leeteuk retrieved the map and brought it out so they could all see where they were. "Well, we've just come from Denmer Crossing, so that would put us right about here…" he gestured at a spot between the town and the bridge over the Angmer.

Having kept track the entire time, he did not groan but he wasn't surprised to hear disappointed sighs around the circle as it was easy to see they still had at least a week of travel…if not more, ahead of them. While the idea of confronting Enrhyll was frightening, the waiting and the time until then was just as bad.

"At least we're over halfway there," Eleanara shrugged, trying to offer some sort of consolation.

"One step at a time," Siwon nodded, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder.

"Come on then," Kharin groaned, shifting her pack again. "The longer we stand here, the longer it'll take us to get there."

The group sighed but nodded in agreement as they fell back into step. They were careful to avoid the subject of what they were actually going to do once they got there though. While they were fairly sure that Enrhyll had a decent idea they were heading his way, they had absolutely no idea what sort of reception they could expect or how they were going to get to him. All they could do was take it one step at a time and hope the gods smiled on them at some point.

Fortunately the day progressed smoothly after that. As they were used to doing by now, they pulled off to the side just before full dark and established camp. Conversation was muted but when they did speak, most of it focused on the now absent Zhou Mi and Henry. If nothing else, they had been an exceptionally bright spot in this whole journey. It helped to keep them focused on what they were fighting for as opposed to the fight they knew was coming up and the travel in the meantime. The watch was established and set without the use of Eleanara's light as the moon was bright enough to give them natural illumination for a fair distance, even in the dark.

In the morning, they did not dawdle long, hoping to reach the Angmer before dark. After a quick breakfast of normal travel rations, they were off again. They saw a few more travelers on their path, but most gave them plenty of room and they were quite content with that. The less interest anyone had in them, the better. The party paused long enough to retrieve food and share water at a midday break but finished eating on the road. Part of their hurry was that they were eager to reach the last major landmark and barrier between them and Lornhaldt and the Sedgewood Forest might well be able to provide them with plenty of cover once they reached the other side. All the territory they had crossed was new and foreign, but the idea of actually having something to hide in appealed to all of them the closer they got to the capitol.

At last, as the day was failing, the group could see the sturdy arching bridge over the wide river. Its appearance was met with weary smiles and relieved sighs as they had made it as they hoped they would, with some light to spare. When they approached however, Siwon slowed down, a look of concern on his visage. "Hold up guys," he stated slowly, looking up and down the river intently.

"What is it?" Leeteuk asked, concern flashing over his face.

"I'm not sure," Siwon explained, turning his head to the side, as if he was trying to hear something that was right there. Something felt weird… Looking at the river, he had no idea what it was. He considered that it might be just that he was feeling the power of a large body of water for the first time, but then he pushed the thought aside. He had felt the coming water in the storm and this wasn't even close to being similar. Something about the flow felt off and it bothered him immensely.

"I don't see anything," Kyuhyun stated as he stared at the bridge and the water rushing beneath it. For all intents and purposes, everything looked fine.

Summer moved up next to Siwon, a puzzled expression on her face too. "He's right. Something does feel odd."

That however, was cause for concern. Unconsciously, Eleanara stepped closer to Leeteuk as she focused on the water and the bridge. "It's the only way to cross, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

"Looks like it," Kharin frowned, not liking the direction this was taking.

Uncertainly the group looked around. Eunhyuk stepped up to Kharin and placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "We've made it this far. Whatever's making you guys nervous…I'm sure we can handle," he said as confidently as he could, though his grip on her shoulder was a bit tighter than normal. She reached up to place a comforting hand on his and forced a smile.

"Alright. I say we get this over with as soon as possible," Siwon suggested, gauging the length of the bridge. It was sturdily built of crafted stone and was more of a marvel considering it was easily at least fifty feet across. Aside from the monastery, it was probably the most impressive bit of stone architecture they had the chance to see.

"Right," Leeteuk nodded. "Okay… Let's go then," he smiled nervously, trying to put on a brave face. Easily, he grabbed Eleanara's hand and nodded down at her. She smiled in turn and gave his hand a ready squeeze, grabbing tight to her shoulder strap nervously with her other hand.

Eunhyuk nodded at Kharin and they followed within easy reaching distance. They wanted the freedom of mobility though in case they needed to react quickly. Kyuhyun uncertainly grabbed Summer's hand as he shrugged and nodded at the bridge, clearly nervous. She shared the feeling and made herself take a deep breath as they stepped forward, holding tightly to his hand too. Intensely focused, Siwon strode forward by himself, eyes scanning the water carefully as he brought up the rear.

They picked up their pace as they got closer, nervously glancing to either side. It was a large river, with a fast flowing current not that far beneath the stone structure. This close to the water, even the others started to feel something else was different. It was if there was another presence lurking somewhere nearby. Leeteuk hoped faintly that it was maybe only them picking up Enryhll watching them… That was still not a comforting thought but it would be better if the threat was from a distance as opposed to right here.

As Leeteuk started across, trailing Eleanara beside him, he noticed something very strange almost immediately as the sound of the water altered slightly. The bridge was quite solidly built and the water was supposed to be flowing under it, but they hadn't even made it halfway across before he saw water seeping through the seams in the stone. "Oh no…" he murmured as a felt the very structure of the bridge weakening; through the stone he felt immense pressure from below. Immediately, he focused on holding it together, pulling at the weakening seams. "Go!" he yelled heatedly, pushing Eleanara forward and looking at the others as he clamped down hard on keeping the trembling bridge together.

"What the-" Kyuhyun started to say, alarmed by the feel of the stones vibrating under his feet, before several massive tentacles rose from the water on either side of the bridge.

Simultaneously, the group screamed as they realized that the tentacles were made of water and a swell in front of them rose up, massive and transient. Almost to the center, Siwon stopped immediately as he bent his will against the strength of the water creature, slowing its movements drastically. It was too large to hold entirely, but he could feel the water shifting around and under the bridge, fighting him and the resistance he offered. It was massive, towering over them nearly fifteen feet above the bridge, an amorphous, shifting blob with numerous, waving limbs.

"It's another construct!" Summer warned, already trying to unravel it, pausing immediately next to Leeteuk while Kyuhyun tugged at her.

"We've got to get off the bridge!" Kyuhyun told her as she stopped, a focused expression on her face. "Hey!" he yelped as the tentacles behind them caught his eye. Immediately, he reacted and threw a fireball at them. Two of them exploded into a spray of mist and boiling water, splashing him and Summer's pack from the backlash. "Ow ow ow," he hissed, dashing away so that he couldn't catch himself in the spray again, grateful only that the other two tentacles had recoiled as well. The two he destroyed reformed almost immediately though, to his dismay.

Both Kharin and Eunhyuk had moved past Leeteuk by now and were desperately trying to make a dent in the creature but as soon as they attacked it, the wound disappeared, reformed by more water. "Freeze it!" she told him desperately.

"I'm trying!" he cried back as he watched the section he was working on freeze over and then crack to pieces as the water beneath took its place, washing the ice away swiftly as it crashed against the bridge, chipping away at the massive structure and wearing down Leeteuk's hold over it.

Torn between trying to get to safety as told and unwilling to leave the others behind, Eleanara paused and stepped back towards them, determined to do what she could. She managed to sustain a barrier behind their group so they wouldn't have to worry about the reforming tentacles. Fortunately, the construct was still considered a physical form and the limbs beat uselessly against the invisible wall, a maddening staccato as all four pounded again and again, relentless in their barrage. "Come on!" she cried, panicked by the sight of water arching up on both sides of the bridge, slowly encompassing her friends. She could see too, that Leeteuk, Siwon and Summer were all frozen in place by necessity, each one preventing disaster by the merest thread.

Kyuhyun tried a new tactic and instead of throwing the projectile, he pushed a fireball towards the top of the creature, helping to weaken the body further as a cloud of steam billowed up, angrily hissing as the structure was worn away. Trembling by the effort needed to control the steady burn and his own nerves at using fire again, he glared at the monster fiercely, his will like iron.

"I'm losing it!" Siwon cried, desperation in his voice as the water construct began to move more freely. The tentacles were beginning to lose their solidity though; a definite sign that Summer was having success.

"Hurry, Summer!" Leeteuk cried, his body trembling from the effort of fighting the power of the river in keeping the bridge together. Already, he was losing control of the outermost edges as the front railing began to fall away, worn down by the constant press and flow of the river.

"I'm working on it!" she cried, fiercely pulling at the strands that weaved it together. "Almost…" she muttered under her breath. She could feel the form weakening, attacked on all sides. Because of its fluid nature though, it was harder to lock down and grab hold of. Too many extraneous threads that constituted the multiple arms kept flowing into her way. She didn't know if they were intentional distractions or if it was just the nature of the water construct, but it was damned hard to unravel. There! She reached for the main thread and even as she pulled, feeling the form unwind as it lost its solidity, she heard Leeteuk cry to her right as the resultant surge pressed past his tenuous hold.

The bridge bucked and writhed like a living thing, coming apart at the seams even as the construct fell apart, returning to water as it had been. The resulting wave from the massive swell that was still above them crashed down on the crumbling bridge, breaking it completely and sweeping Siwon, Summer and Leeteuk away instantly. Unable to get away on the unsteady surface, the bridge fell out from beneath the others, plunging them all into the furious waters, pummeled briefly by stone fragments before the debris fell away, leaving the party to be swept downstream.

Desperately, they tried to kick free of heavy packs that dragged them down. Both Eunhyuk and Summer were able to weaken the straps enough with the tines of their sais so that the fury of the river and rocks helped to free them in the end. It seemed too that they were decently close to shore and he could actually see Summer. Fear consumed him as he couldn't catch sight of Kharin or anyone else for that matter as his head was dunked under, the current pulling determinedly at his feet. Wildly, he improvised and while it was incredibly cold, the ice he was able to form in the water helped to keep him afloat. "Summer!" he cried as a particularly rough current shoved him around a large boulder in his path and directly closer to her.

"Eunhyuk!" she cried, flailing. Somehow, they were able to reach each other and fiercely, they clung together as they worked to guide themselves to shore, frantically trying to avoid additional injury from more boulders beneath the surface that grabbed at their limbs and the ones they couldn't avoid but still saw before they rammed into them roughly.

Eleanara was able to cut free only because she could reach her dagger. Her weapon was lost in the next few seconds as she abandoned it to try and keep herself above water, fighting panic. Like a rag doll, the water threw her about, bouncing painfully off boulders, even as the current helped to pull her smaller frame around them instead of running into them full speed. Glimpses of color in the uniform blue and white of the river indicated the presence of the others but she could do nothing for them as she fought the eddying currents, frantically trying to avoid injury as her palms scraped against the next boulder that rose up in front of her.

Similarly, Kyuhyun's short sword came in handy for slicing through the waist strap and was subsequently lost as boulders in the water grabbed at his legs, turning him end over end. He was free enough to wriggle out of the heavy pack though and kicked fiercely, struggling to get to shore and a semblance of safety. A small drop surprised him, dunking him underwater where he collided with another boulder, pain exploding along his side and inside his head. Dazed, he was barely aware that something else pushed him to the surface and slowed him enough to grab onto another boulder. It was enough to steady himself as he awkwardly pushed his body towards the shore, fighting the current sluggishly.

Kharin felt her mace and pack both dragging her down and she had to improvise swiftly. A decidedly close shadow blade easily sliced through both straps and she kicked for the surface, gasping and spitting water. Confused and disoriented, she looked ahead in time to prepare herself for the rock she was about to run into. The impact jarred her savagely and she lost her breath briefly before it felt like something else had grabbed her around the middle and jerked her towards the shore. Panic made her thrash as her immediate thought was the water construct…but it had been unraveled. A helpless scream escaped her as another rock gave her a glancing blow. Her sense of awareness eventually boiled down to surviving and she threw herself into that task with a vengeance.

Leeteuk's biggest dilemma was trying to get the pack free, yet he had nothing to cut himself loose with. It dragged him down but before he could truly panic, an unseen force grasped him and shoved him near the shore, hauling him towards the surface. Once there, he could reorient himself and focus on what was going on. Weakened but not powerless, he had many tools to work with immediately around him, but the power of the water still drove him against the rocks he tried to control. He felt sharp pain that was immediately dulled and pushed to the back of his mind as he fought to slow himself down and work towards the shore, eventually working out a method to shunt him that direction.

Siwon could feel them in the waters nearby; could mark their presence in the medium he had control over. He was drained from holding the construct, but he reached for them the same way the creature had; with tentacles that grabbed them and pushed them towards the shore…towards safety, though he could not distinguish who he was able to reach. Over and over again, he tried to make sure he got them there, fighting to keep his head above water, feeling the fluid fill his mouth and nose. He coughed savagely as he bitterly clung to awareness.

Unexpectedly, he crashed into a rock, the blow dazing him even though the pack took the brunt of the force. His awareness faltered… No! Pay attention! Subconsciously, he manipulated the water to keep him afloat, fighting the drag of his heavy maul and pack. He had to make sure they were okay. He had to get them all out of the water. Where were they! He couldn't feel them anymore… Another rock dazed him and he felt himself go under, kicking weakly to try and reach the surface, his normal control over the water interrupted. His lungs burned and he felt his body grow weak and unresponsive. The last thing he saw before another rock pummeled him again was the bright light of the sun shimmering on the surface of the water so far above him…

"No!" Enryhll cried fiercely as he threw the scrying bowl away from him in furious denial, surprising Hana and the pair of guards who were in constant attendance at the doors. He had forgotten about the construct he had summoned to watch over the Angmer River and Denmer Lake. Why hadn't it recognized that he wanted them to come here! It should have known! He had created it, so it should have known his will! Stupid, useless construct.

A low growl escaped him as he glared at the overturned bowl, water slowly spreading from it in small pools. He refused to accept they would be killed so easily. No. Of course not. They weren't like the rest of the humans. Carefully, he composed himself and took a deep breath as he ran his hand carefully over his hair. That is what he would do. Swiftly, he strode to find his Captain of the Guard.

"Kwan!" he stated imperiously, failing to use his title at all as he burst into the Officer's Quarters, the doors banging loudly in his haste.

A middle aged man in light armor stood up from behind his desk as soon as Enrhyll entered. "Yes my Lord?" he asked with his fist over his heart and bowing respectfully. His black hair was pulled back into a short queue and his face, when he looked back up, was lined with thin scars from numerous battles. He was a hard looking man, with sharp features and cunning brown eyes.

"There's been a mishap at the Angmer River," Enryhll stated calmly, as if this was a normal occurrence and there was nothing odd about the statement at all. "Take your men and find the seven elementalists there." At the man's surprise, he arched a brow and quickly gave a brief description of the individuals. At the least, they were fairly easy to recognize. After he had concluded that they were coming here of their own volition, he had stopped sending patrols out. He was by no means sure the Captain would remember their initial descriptions and so wished to remind him. "The river may have carried them a ways from the bridge. You will need to move fast," he further explained as Kwan listened intently.

Kwan was no fool. This would be a dangerous task indeed, not only if he found the elementalists, but also if he failed to do so. "As you wish, my Lord," he bowed again, already making a mental tally of who he would need to take. He would have to send two parties at least. If the elementalists were carried far enough down the river, then they may well be near Corley Port on the other side of the Sedgewood Forest. If they were anything at all like Enryhll, they would still be worthy foes to capture. He had no illusions about the condition they would need to be in when he brought them back.

"Do not disappoint me," Enrhyll stated coolly before he turned around and left Kwan to his thoughts.

Immediately after Enrhyll was gone, the Captain of the Guard began calling out commands and getting his men ready. At least they could start before the light failed. Imperial horses were well trained but even they did not see at night and lame horses were not going to help him any. Swiftly, he departed to begin preparations. Already, he could feel the executioner's blade resting on the back of his neck and he hadn't even left yet…


	19. Chapter 19

Awareness came slowly to Eunhyuk as a general sense of discomfort and pain stole over him, bringing him to consciousness unwillingly. Quietly, he groaned as he opened soft brown eyes, frustrated when his slightly too long hair was in his face. His automatic attempt to brush the strands away stopped as soon as he tried to move his right arm, wincing as new pain flared to life. It was mostly dark, though he couldn't tell if it was because the sun was setting or because it was rising as he had no indication of how much time had gone by since they had been swept down the river. He remembered it had been light still when he'd managed to crawl on land, but his memory stopped there.

Cautiously, he tested his other arm and found that while it was sore, it did not hurt when he moved it. Taking his time, he evaluated the rest of his body before he tried to move extensively. Several deep breaths later, he was reasonably sure that nothing was broken, though his right hand and wrist were almost certainly sprained, if not worse, and the arm itself was probably strained. Eunhyuk winced as he forced his aching body up so that he could have a better look around, noticing he'd lost a boot at some point and had numerous scrapes and bruises on the lower part of his legs. "Great," he sighed, resignedly brushing the irritating strands of hair from his face with his 'good' hand. "Kharin?" he called out first, recalling he had been near her when they'd fought the construct.

Agitatedly, he rubbed his face as he remembered the next few moments after that. "Summer?" A quiet response near-by drew his attention to the young woman lying slightly upstream from him, not more than fifteen feet away. Walking proved that he might have strained a muscle or two in his legs as well…

"Eunhyuk?" she murmured sleepily, shifting slowly on the bank of the river. Her feet were still in the water, but she was otherwise on dry land. "What happened?" she asked in mild confusion as she turned to the sound his feet made when he walked, loose ground crunching softly.

"Ah…we fell in the river," he told her simply as he looked over her in the dim light. The sun was setting he finally decided, watching the last vestiges of sunlight flicker over the horizon. From what he could see, she was a bit battered and bruised but as nothing was sticking out at an odd angle, he could only presume nothing was broken outright. At least his efforts had been useful for something. He had tried to shield her from the worst of the rocks and it appeared he had succeeded.

"That's right," she sighed, carefully pushing herself up, testing range of motion slowly. She winced when her left shoulder argued vehemently and nodded to herself. Standing found her generally sore but her shoulder appeared to be among the worst of her injuries, with some additional superficial cuts on the same arm. "How did you make out?" she asked quietly, having a hard time seeing him fully.

He laughed uncertainly, "My right arm's pretty much useless and I won't be running anytime soon." His attempt at levity was a stretch but at least he tried.

"The others?" she asked hopefully, her voice small and lost.

Eunhyuk shook his head slowly and answered after a pause, all humor gone. "I don't know." The simple statement conveyed everything he felt, nor did he try to hide the unshed tears in his voice. Abruptly, he yelled out, "Kharin! Leeteuk! Anybody!" the last hurt as his abdomen compressed painfully with the effort. They both listened intently for some sort of response. The sound of the river flowing beside them was their only answer.

"Right," she said as if to herself. She had been afraid he was going to say that. "Okay," she spoke with a shaky voice as she forced herself to take a deep breath. "So…what do we have?" Quietly, she looked around and laughed brokenly. "Nothing…okay…"

Eunhyuk limped over to her and pulled her awkwardly to him, sensing the worry and fear in her. He felt it too, but it wasn't going to do them any good right now. "We're alive and I have to believe the others are too," he told her firmly, unable to stop his tears as he felt her shaking quietly against him.

Summer clung to him, holding him firmly but not too tightly. Her arm complained about the movement and if he felt anything like she did, he was probably bruised too. After a moment when she had to collect herself, she nodded nervously. "You're right. Okay." Slowly, she pushed herself back and forced herself to look around, making note of where they were. They still hadn't reached the edge of the forest, a darker blur off to the left of them, which meant they hadn't been carried very far. They were still near the main road but they had no idea of knowing where the others were. In her mind, she looked over the map Leeteuk had shown them. The river extended all the way to the sea and she didn't remember there being any other villages until the port city. "Oh boy…" she sighed, chewing her lip nervously.

"What's wrong?" Eunhyuk asked, still maintaining tenuous contact with her. Right now, she was all he had.

"Everything," she laughed bitterly, feeling the beginnings of hysteria teasing her. Fiercely she shoved them away and swallowed hard as she felt Eunhyuk's hand tighten against her right arm. "We have no supplies and we don't know how far the river carried them."

Eunhyuk closed his eyes as he took that in. Subconsciously, he acknowledged the situation, but he rebelled against the thought immediately. "But what if they're hurt worse than us?" he asked instead, looking downriver as if in doing so he could catch a glimpse of them.

"I know," Summer muttered dejectedly. She hated to say it, but she forced the words out anyway. "Unless we find Eleanara too, there's nothing else we can do for any of them."

The truth of that matter hurt and Eunhyuk covered his mouth in helpless frustration. He was worried about all of them after all but gods he just wanted to know if she was okay… Desperately, he latched onto any hope he could as he turned to face her. "You said we were near your home right?"

Summer nodded. "Yes. It's not that far from the bridge actually."

"We can go there and get help then, can't we?" he asked eagerly, urgently.

She reached out and gripped his good hand with hers. "Yes. We can. If I remember…there should be a back path to the house off the main road before the split too."

"Good," he murmured determinedly. "Come on. Let's get going then," he urged, focused.

"Now?" Summer asked automatically, looking around in the dark. At least the moon allowed them to see something at any rate. It was almost as bright as it had been the previous night which meant they weren't traveling completely blind.

"I'm not staying still any longer than I have to," Eunhyuk stated bluntly. "We can follow the river and when it gets light, we can cut across, as you said, but I'm not waiting here."

Hearing the ferocity in his tone, Summer didn't even try to argue, actually glad that he was as determined as he was. "Okay. Let's go then," she agreed, moving close and carefully pulling his good arm over her shoulder to help support him.

"Thank you, Summer," he stated gratefully.

"Of course," she laughed weakly as they took their first tentative steps, just as eager as he was to find help. Fervently, she prayed that the others were alright. As Eunhyuk had said, they had to be okay. _He _had to be okay. She looped her good arm around behind him and felt her hand brush against his second sai sheathed on his other side. Belatedly she realized she still had one too. On the bright side, that was something at least.

Leeteuk had managed to drag himself partially from the water shortly after it had gotten dark, but he had fallen unconscious due to the combination of exhaustion and pain. When he woke again, it was fully dark and he was completely disoriented with a heavy weight on his back and a hard surface pressing coldly against his right side. The earth elementalist groaned when he realized the waterlogged pack was still attached to him and he had fallen unconscious against the very rocks he had raised.

Very carefully, he tried to slide himself forward and found that the pack and his current state made motion incredibly difficult. "Great…" he groaned, looking around for something to assist him with. Taking any measure of a deep breath hurt just then and he was fully aware he still had nothing with which to cut himself loose. Both of his arms were sore, but functional; a small blessing that as his left leg and ankle in particular ached fiercely. That did not make him feel assured at all.

When nothing useful came to hand, he improvised and formed a very basic knife shard from the stone that he was resting against. Awkwardly, he sawed at the soggy straps, eventually managing to cut through the tough fabric. The waist strap was harder to reach and by the time he'd freed that one, his hand ached considerably, a pressure mark evident in his palm. Leeteuk grimaced, but prepared himself for his next move.

To his dismay, his efforts to push the pack off were for naught. At this time, he simply didn't have the strength to do so. Finally, he opted to use his ability again and created a pole that slowly extended from the same rock he was leaning against which promptly rolled the heavy item off him neatly. "Oh thank goodness," he breathed, the first easy breath he'd had since falling in the river. He took a moment to simply breathe and relish the feel of not being squished before he focused on getting out of the water.

Moving was a slow process as he was battered from the array of rocks he had used to slow him down. His left leg hurt even when crawling and he hated to think what it would be like when he tried to walk. His right arm had been scraped raw from brushing against boulders and he knew his chest and ribs were bruised. From his slumped over position, he looked around carefully and listened through the ground. At first, he didn't hear anything at all, but then an off-beat walking pattern drew his attention. "Hello?" he called out firmly, cringing when his voice cracked.

"Hello?" a feminine voice responded out of the gloom. "Teuk?" she asked a second later.

Leeteuk grinned as he recognized the timber now. "Kharin!" Slowly, he watched her form materialize from the darkness and he was glad to see she was at least able to walk without too much trouble. She was favoring her left side and arm but beyond that, it was harder to tell in the dim lighting. The moon only showed so much.

She smiled warmly, though it was a bit reserved. "Am I glad I found someone," she sighed, moving over to kneel beside him, her face wincing with the motion.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked, looking behind her briefly, as if to see if someone else might appear when she wasn't looking.

"Not long," she shook her head. "I found I could walk and picked a direction. Those lights seemed the best bet," she sighed finally, a mixture of annoyance and frustration in her tone. She wanted to find the others but as much as she wished she could do something for them, her left side argued enough that she wouldn't be much help and she knew it.

Leeteuk peered around behind him and made note of the lights in the distance. "The port city," he murmured, thoughtful. "I hadn't realized we had drifted so far," he added finally, vague horror in his eyes. "The others…" It wasn't even a question so much as a sad statement.

The pair looked at each other and both acknowledged there was a lot of space between the bridge and the port city. It all depended on how successful they had been in getting out of the water… Quietly, they both looked upstream, hoping that maybe they'd catch a glimpse of something. Eleanara's light ability or Kyuhyun's flare… Something…

They both felt the beginnings of panic as they recognized they no longer had any sort of control over this situation. "Can you walk?" Kharin asked abruptly, trying to find something positive.

Leeteuk grimaced. "I'm not sure. I think my ankle is broken," he muttered dejectedly as a hesitant attempt to rotate it caused a spike of sharp pain. He heard Kharin sigh but was grateful she didn't comment. Carefully, he raised a seat up under himself to put him in a better position to attempt standing.

Kharin moved close in preparation and watched him as he stood up. When he put weight on the injured limb, she lurched to catch him as the knee buckled almost immediately. His body jarred her left side and she clenched her teeth against the pain that flared to life, muttering under her breath as she sat him back down. "Aish," she hissed, bending over to try and alleviate the pain.

"You okay?" he asked breathlessly, a pinched expression on his face.

"I will be," she murmured after a pause. Kharin took another deep breath and nodded to herself. Nothing was broken but it sure hurt like hell… Unfortunately, neither of them would be able to tell the extent of their injuries without better light. In the meantime, they had to make do with what they had. "The better question is will you be?"

Leeteuk shook his head and laughed once, a harsh sound. "I'll have to be. Somehow…" A thought occurred to him and he raised a very slender pole of stone from the ground. He curved the top into a very shallow 'u' and then used it to stand up. When he got to his feet, he detached it from the ground and tried the improvised crutch, pleasantly surprised that it worked but bothered by the weight.

"Well that's a neat trick," Kharin laughed, genuinely amused.

"It's a start," he murmured, his face slightly more pale than usual.

Kharin shrugged and headed past him to the pack she spied at the water's edge. Forcefully, she dragged it back and began pawing through it to see what she could salvage. The waterskin was gone and the rations were entirely soggy, but the meat may be salvageable…

With a slight frown on his face, Leeteuk watched her, annoyed she hadn't even bothered to ask, but given the circumstances... He took a deep breath instead and limped closer to see what she found useful. Immediately, she pulled out the clothes and set those aside. "We might be able to wrap your ankle in the morning," she mused out loud.

Preemptively, he winced at the thought. If nothing else, it would probably need to be aligned and he absolutely dreaded that moment… Especially since he very much doubted Eleanara would be nearby to fix it as she always was. Thinking about her hurt… He couldn't help but worry that the river hadn't just taken her away. Of all of them, she was the least able to swim or anything physical really. Her strength had always been much more subtle and that was useless in water.

Kharin decided what was useful and what wasn't quickly enough. In one of the shirts, she threw the rather unappetizing leftovers of the rations and then slung the rest of the wet garments over her shoulder. "I know you can't carry the pack and I'm not much better off," she muttered, aggrieved to be leaving yet more stuff behind. It wasn't as if they could carry it though, either…

Slowly, Leeteuk limped forward as best as possible with Kharin right next to him in case he tripped. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to do much more until the sun rose. The one nice thing so far was that at least it wasn't cold.

Discomfited rest was pierced by a persistent call that rang painfully in her ears. In annoyance, Eleanara opened her eyes to see who was making so much noise and cringed as she heard it again through the insistent ringing in her ear. Her head ached horribly and so did the rest of her for that matter. "Hey!" she heard, cringing when the word came out sharp and slightly panicked. "Stop messing around you guys!" She knew that voice…

Quickly, she took stock of herself and almost immediately stopped trying to analyze her injuries. They didn't matter. With the ease of practice, she mended her body, stifling a cry when her ankle aligned properly. Relief flowed through her in the next moment but she still cringed when the voice called again, "Anybody?"

With the headache and the ringing in her ears finally gone, she looked up carefully and called out, "Over here!"

"What? Who?" came the immediate response, followed by a stumbling sound and then a pained groan.

Alarmed, Eleanara stood up, feeling a deep soreness throughout her body. A pity healing didn't take care of that entirely too. It was full dark but she could see a figure moving around slightly downstream from her. She summoned a light when the sounds of dry heaving reached her. "Kyu?" she called softly as she approached the figure on the ground.

He was on his hands and knees on the ground, but his right arm hung uselessly apparently dislocated. His head hung low as his body heaved again but after a pause, he looked up and she could see blood smeared all along the right side of his face and in his hair. "Hold still," he told her as his body swayed to the left and he rolled over onto his back with another groan.

"Kyu!" she cried, very worried now. He had some sort of head wound that she had to take care of immediately.

"Huh?" he asked looking at her upside down, his eyes crossing briefly and then focusing on her and the light again. "Who are you again?" he asked, confused.

"It's okay, Kyu. It's just me. Eleanara," she told him softly as she came to rest next to him.

His eyes followed her jerkily and he laughed. "You're too tall to be her."

"Shhh," she urged softly as she placed her hands on his chest. Easily, he was as bruised as she was, but the right arm was dislocated, he had a bad head injury and how he'd been limping around on a sprained ankle she wasn't sure.

"That feels nice," he sighed as the warmth spread through him. When it reached his right arm though, "Ow…OW!" he cried as the joint was forced back into place painfully. His body jerked in reaction as he tried to push her away with his other arm.

"It's okay, Kyu. I know it hurts," she explained in a tear filled voice as she grabbed the hand firmly with hers and held it to her breast, leaving her other one on his chest. "Shhh. It's okay," she soothed again as the arm settled in place and he relaxed almost immediately. As his breathing returned to normal and she felt the last of his wounds heal, she smiled, "Kyu?"

Kyuhyun groaned once more and finally focused on the woman next to him. "I'm okay," he told her as he reached up to rub his face with his repaired arm. That had been a very disconcerting feeling where very little had made sense until she found him… "I'm good," he stated again as he slowly sat up and retrieved his hand from her, looking around to try and put the pieces together.

Eleanara raised the light higher, illuminating a greater area. Next to them, the river flowed by quickly, the burbling, rushing sound almost playful. It was late, definitely past midnight, and the moon helped to cover the ground with its pale luminescence but even then, they couldn't see anybody nearby. Downstream, her light picked up on something that looked a little bit off from the bank of the river. "What's that?" she asked quietly as she got to her feet and trotted over to it, hearing Kyuhyun stand slowly behind her. When she got to the item, she saw that it was one of their waterskins, torn from someone's pack and washed onto the bank of the river. There was nothing to tell her whose it was, but she picked it up and held the container to her tightly. "Leeteuk! Siwon! Kha-" She might well have called out for all of them if Kyuhyun hadn't stopped her.

"They're not here!" Kyuhyun told her, cutting her off mid-name as he pulled her around to look at him. "If they were, they would have heard me earlier…" he muttered, an angry frown on his face. He had certainly been stumbling around and calling out long enough before she had finally responded.

"Then we have to find them," she responded immediately as she bit her lip nervously.

Kyuhyun laughed at her and then looked around pointedly. "And how are we going to do that, Nara?" he asked.

"But what if they're hurt?" she resisted as she stepped around the question, staring at the blood still caked on his face and in his hair.

"Don't you think I know that's a possibility?" he asked her, annoyed. She flinched at the tone of his voice and he grabbed her arms firmly. "It's a big river," he stated bluntly, his expression conflicted.

Eleanara looked around him upstream and then behind herself. Whatever direction they picked, it was possible she would miss someone…maybe someone who needed help as bad as Kyu had. On their other side, the forest loomed, dark and foreboding in the night. She shivered to herself and hugged the waterskin tighter. "Chances are good they're further down." She took another deep breath. "If so, they also have a greater chance of being injured." At the thought, her face fell and she had to fight hard to keep the tears back.

Finally, he let her go and then looked in both directions too. "Right. That at least makes sense," he nodded to himself. "Let's go then," he stated, stepping around her and following the river.

Still clutching the waterskin to her, she hurried to follow in his wake, struggling to keep up with the pace that he set. She kept falling behind though, as she continued to search the bank for further items and, more importantly, any sign of the others.

A soft, slightly off-key humming sound was the first thing Siwon became aware of before he had even opened his eyes. That was odd enough but compounded with the myriad of strange, and not unpleasant scents that surrounded him, it was absolutely baffling, considering that he should be dead… He doubted very much the afterlife would have any of those elements, much less that he would ache as badly as he did. Cautiously, he peeked through one of his eyes and focused on a simple wooden ceiling above him. Hanging from the beams were all manner of dried plants of various types and in his peripheral vision were several tables, all completely covered.

At one such table was a woman from whom the humming sound was coming. She had her back to him and it looked as if she was working on something. Her straight black hair was pulled up into a practical horsetail and she had a simple brown kerchief wrapped across the top of her head and under her bound hair. Painfully, Siwon shifted to get up and the cot he was resting in, slightly too short he noticed, creaked under his weight.

The woman stopped humming and shifted around. "You're awake," she smiled warmly, a soft expression on a face that was both young and knowledgeable. Gentle light filled the small house and showed that she had pale brown eyes in an open face, with delicate features and soft lips. "Good," she stated as she stood up easily and moved near the bed. Respectfully, she retrieved a stool and sat next to him, eyeing him carefully.

"Where am I?" he asked curiously as his eyes continued to scan the area. His gaze fell on his pack in the corner, looking battered and torn. The maul was still attached to it, surprisingly enough.

"Safe," she assured him as she reached a slender, green and brown stained hand towards his head.

He immediately flinched away and reached to stop her, capturing her wrist lightly in his grasp, though the effort made him wince. "Where am I?" he asked again, meeting her eyes evenly.

She sighed and quirked her mouth into an amused grin. "If you must know, you're in my cabin on the edge of the Sedgewood Forest." Calmly, she retracted her hand, glad that he didn't insist on holding it any longer. Granted, in his condition, she might well be a match for him just now.

A pained expression flickered across his face as he tried to recall what had happened. The river he remembered and the feeling of drowning…being unable to breath…but before that? "Was…was I the only one you found?" he asked, fear returning as he recalled his inability to get them out.

"Yes," she answered softly, not looking away. Obviously, there was significance to the question and it was not lost on her. Slowly, so as not to startle him, she reached to the side table at the head of her bed and retrieved an amulet. "The other elementalists?" she asked quietly, extending the symbol to him.

Siwon felt his throat tighten and he reached to retrieve the amulet, belatedly glancing down to where it normally rested. He blinked in surprise and then flushed as he realized he was shirtless and wrapped in soft gauze from which a medicinal smell rose. Awkwardly, he reached for the sheet at the foot of the bed and brought it up to cover the wrappings and the colorful bruises that blossomed across the top of his chest and into his shoulders. He swallowed hard a couple times and then cleared his throat, "Yes." To his consternation, she seemed completely at ease with his present state and the news.

She pursed her lips at the answer but then nodded to herself. "You're not the first man I've treated wounds for," she told him in answer to his silent query, not focusing on his lost friends. When his blush deepened, she couldn't help but smile. "I'm Eun Mi," she offered instead, reaching out as if to shake his hand.

Still off kilter, he reached out to accept the offering. "Siwon."

"Well, Siwon. It's a pleasure," she smiled, the genuine warmth enough to coax one in return. "Are you hungry? Thirsty maybe?" she asked, glancing back at the table where she had an array of herbs scattered everywhere. He murmured an affirmative and she stood up easily, releasing his hand and making herself busy at the table. "I was trying to finish before you woke up, but this is fine." He watched her walk over to the small fireplace where a kettle was gently swinging. "It's an herbal tea," she explained as she returned to fill the mug on the table and then set the kettle aside. "It should help you heal faster," she added. "And make the pain more manageable."

"I can't stay long, Eun Mi," he told her simply as he looked around for his shirt.

She turned and raised an amused brow at him. "You are welcome to try," she offered, stepping to the foot of the bed where his spare shirt was resting. "Go ahead," she gestured, waiting for him to put the shirt on.

Uncertainly, he looked at her and tentatively tried to swing his legs over the side of the bed. He hadn't done more than pick his knees up before he froze, a pained grimace on his face. "Ugh…"

"Most eloquent," Eun Mi sighed as she shook her head. "Why do men always think they can just get up like nothing happened?" she asked as if to herself, to Siwon's acute embarrassment.

Carefully, he straightened his ridiculously sore legs back out and managed a rather uncertain pout. "How long?" he muttered, clearly not in favor of his current condition.

"I would say at least two days." She paused at his incredulous expression and then rolled her eyes, "Maybe sooner, to get you up and walking."

"I don't have that kind of time," he explained quickly, a vaguely panicked expression taking over his face.

Eun Mi didn't even justify that with a response. She took another deep breath and turned back to the tea. "Here," she said as she sat down on the stool again. "Drink," she urged, proffering the cup to him carefully.

He glared at it balefully and then the expression was gone as he reluctantly accepted it. "Fine." It wasn't what he wanted but he was alive and until he was well enough to travel, he would have to deal with his situation.


	20. Chapter 20

As Eunhyuk and Summer continued to plod through the night, following the river semi-blindly, dawn was met with mixed feelings. They were glad for the light as it enabled them to see where they were going and how much further they had to go but it also fully illuminated the extent of their injuries. Both were battered and bruised, with various locations sporting black and blue splotches as well as numerous superficial scrapes and cuts.

Eunhyuk's right arm was a mass of bruised flesh and the fingers and wrist had predominantly locked in place. Each attempt to move that appendage had resulted in sharp pain. For Summer, her left shoulder and upper arm had blossomed into a strange amalgamation of blue and black hues. Both had bruising beginning over their torsos and in Eunhyuk's case, his lower legs were beginning to show a motley array of colors. So far, they had both avoided the soreness they knew was coming, if only because they had yet to stop moving. Both dreaded the thought…

"How are you holding up?" Summer asked Eunhyuk as they stumbled yet again, throwing her off balance.

"I've been better," he laughed harshly, a forced grin on his face.

"Let's take a break then," she suggested, purposely stopping so that he would too. "I think we could both use a drink anyway," she added, nodding towards the river at their left.

Eunhyuk looked at her and seemed about to argue before he simply sighed and nodded. He was sick of seeing it really but they had no food or water otherwise and without Siwon, they simply couldn't conjure it at will. Summer shuffled to the edge with him and then helped him to settle next to the water before sitting back on her heels. Drinking was easy for her but problematic for Eunhyuk who only had one good arm. By the time he was finished, his shirt was thoroughly soaked and some of the darker bruising could be seen through the wet fabric. They both grimaced.

When he felt himself start to stiffen from the brief time they had spent at the water's edge, he painfully forced himself to his feet, not waiting for Summer to help him. "Come on. Let's get going," he urged looking back the way they had come from with a worried expression. He couldn't help thinking about the others and how they were doing now. With a pang, he tore his gaze from the path and focused on their direction.

A groan escaped Summer as she stood up to match him, echoing his feelings. They were both tired. Dawn or not, they had been up all night, but at least their evening progress had gotten them close enough to see the main road better. Now they could finally cut across and not have to worry about stepping in a random hole in the dark. Tiredly, she glared at the path before them and then across the space they were going to travel to the main road. "Alright," she muttered determinedly, reaching as Eunhyuk did, for reserves she hadn't been aware she had.

Getting started was the hard part and once they fell into an unsteady rhythm, walking was fairly easy. It didn't take any thought and was more of a reflex action. The body leaned forward and the foot followed to keep it from face planting. As injured as they both were, the pace was slower than either would have preferred. The plaguing feeling of exhaustion they managed to push to the back of their mind along with the persistent hunger that gnawed at them.

Eunhyuk's desperate need to continue forward pulled them both along well after the time in which fatigue would have set in. With his eyes glued to the ground in front of him, he doggedly placed one foot in front of the other and kept going, his awareness of his surroundings nonexistent. Summer wasn't much better. Propelled by his stubborn tenacity, she followed alongside, offering support and making sure to keep them in as straight a line as possible. If there was anyone on the road ahead of them, they did not seem them.

Awareness did not return to either of them until, later in the day, grass fell away under their feet to be replaced by the smooth dirt of the road. Numbly, the pair paused and stared at it, struggling to recognize why that was significant. Finally, having reached the initial goal they had set for themselves, Eunhyuk subsequently slumped to the ground, his protesting leg muscles ignored by his body's desire for a rest. His arm slipped from around Summer's shoulder effortlessly as her grip loosened and she lost him entirely.

Somehow, she was able to continue standing, but only just. Her glassy eyed stare looked up the road and then in the opposite direction, trying to piece the puzzle together. What was next again? Presently, her body overrode the thought and she joined Eunhyuk on the ground, her legs folded under her. Almost as soon as she was seated, her companion leaned his head against her shoulder, seeking contact of some sort. It was a comforting gesture as he dozed off, leaving her to her stunted awareness. Her own ability to remain conscious failed shortly thereafter and she followed him in sleep, resting her head against his, slumped against each other on the edge of the road.

They slept, completely unaware of anything, until a very disgruntled farmer in a small horse drawn cart returned from the broken bridge and stopped to stare at them in wary confusion. "Oye!" he called at the strange pair. When they didn't so much as twitch, he clambered down from the seat and approached them with some concern. Both appeared to be injured rather severely if the bruises were any indication. "Oye," he said again, softer now that he was closer as he reached out to gently shake the woman.

At his touch, a mildly annoyed and then alarmed Summer flinched away from the hand, bumping into Eunhyuk and knocking him over onto his bad side. A sharp cry of pain brought them both to full awareness as he had made no attempt to stop his fall. "Hyuk," she murmured coming out of her fugue as she crawled around to him, the farmer forgotten until he hurried around to the other side to help.

"I'm sorry," he spoke quickly, burly hands reaching down to help the young man to his feet. He was surprisingly light by the farmer's standards and he swayed on his feet before the woman grabbed the good arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he apologized again. "I didna mean ta startle ye," he explained, looking between them carefully. Whatever they were, it wasn't dangerous.

Summer shook her head and focused on him closer. He had a horse drawn cart and appeared to be heading in the direction they wanted to go. "Our fault," she mumbled around a thick tongue. Forcefully, she tried again and smiled at him wearily, her gaze slightly shifty. "We were in an accident at the bridge," she began softly, glancing at Eunhyuk to see how his expression was. Still pinched with pain but his eyes were open at least.

"I saw," the farmer answered, his expression turning cross. "And ah'm stuck on this side," he grumbled, still upset about that. "It'll take em weeks ta get it fixed." His attention focused on them again and he at least had the decency to look abashed. "Fergive me," he nodded, looking at the rather dazed young man again.

"As you were heading back…that way," she nodded down the road toward the capitol, she added, "Would you be able to perhaps take us to Silverberg Manor?"

He looked surprised by the question. "They're not the sort ta deal with just anyone," he warned, taking a look at the torn and disheveled clothes. As minor nobles, the Silverberg's were better than some and not as good as others but they didn't just welcome anybody.

Summer frowned, a rather frightening expression on her face considering she was in no mood to be patient. "_I_ am a Silverberg, sir. I think they will see me." Her tone brooked no argument and if her betraying body didn't back her up, then the steel in her eyes was enough to make him apologize.

The farmer still seemed a bit skeptical but his disinclination was much reduced. "But ah'll have lost more time, my lady," he started, playing along somewhat subtly.

If she hadn't been nearly exhausted, she might well have reached out to hit him, but right now all her limbs were needed just for keeping them standing. Carefully, she bit down on whatever retort was about to spring to her lips and she explained as calmly as possible, "I am sure you will be compensated for your troubles. Thank you."

"My good lady. How very kind of ye ta offer," the farmer clasped his hands together and bowed slightly. "My name is Se-Jin. Let me help ye," he offered, taking Eunhyuk from her and gently guiding the wobbly young man to the back of the cart. As gently as he could, he lifted him up, though it was obvious the pressure against his sides hurt. Summer followed suit and bit her tongue in regards to him helping her up too. "We'll get ye there. Ah can even travel at night," he winked slyly, raising a well-used lantern up.

Summer was not inclined to argue. "There should be a back path just off the main road nearby," she offered, blinking forcibly as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She had been young the last time they had used it but she knew it was here somewhere. Now if only they could get to it before full dark fell…

* * *

><p>Contrary to what Siwon knew was right and what Eun Mi told him he should do, he was not good at bed rest. It wasn't that he doubted her, but it was impossible for him to simply lay there in bed and stare at the ceiling while he waited for his body to heal; especially when he didn't know how the others were or if they were even alive. After being urged to lie back down yet again after having sat up to think about doing something else, Siwon finally sighed and watched Eun Mi until she looked at him.<p>

She was herself a mystery to him. Now that he wasn't so confused about waking up at all, there were several things about her that seemed a bit out of place…not in the least being that she was well aware that he was an elementalist and yet this was not strange to her. Also, why was she out here by herself…? He was grateful she had taken care of him thus far but what he didn't know about her spoke volumes louder than what he did…

Pointedly Eun Mi did not look at him for a moment, well aware his eyes were on her. At length, though, she took a breath and turned to look at the man who had been watching her so intently, seeing the questions in his eyes. "Yes?"

"I can't do this," he stated flatly. He glanced out the open window in her cabin and noticed it was a little after midday.

"But you haven't done anything," she stated as she crossed her arms loosely in front of her, the off-white sleeves faintly stained with various shades of greens and browns just like her hands. There was a trace of disappointment in her tone as she spoke and she had just the hint of a frown on her face.

"Exactly," he stated as he pointed a knowing finger at her. "Injured or not, I can't just lay here and accept it. I have to know if they're okay," he told her simply, his face tense and his eyes worried.

Carefully, Eun Mi sat down on the stool that was still next to his bed and regarded him thoughtfully. Her eyes lingered on his chest where the amulet lay hidden beneath his shirt and she pursed her lips. "And you think limping up and down the Angmer is going to do you or them any good?"

In frustration, he looked away, his mouth pulled taught. "I have to do something," he muttered again, stubbornly.

Hesitantly, she reached out a gentle hand and cupped the opposite side of his face to turn his head so he was looking at her again. "I know how you feel. Really, I do. Being helpless is nothing I would wish on anyone." The way in which she spoke made Siwon think that maybe that wasn't entirely true but she continued on, "But unless you have another way of seeing something, you trying to walk around blindly just isn't going to work."

Immediately, he wanted to deny and rail against her words. How could she possibly know what he felt in this situation? But the rest of what she said triggered a thought in his memory. Something Leeteuk had asked him… Quickly, he grabbed her hand and a tentative hope sprang to life in his eyes as he asked, "Do you have a bowl of water I could borrow?"

Surprised by the change in mood so quickly, Eun Mi answered without thought, "Of course." Then she shook her head at the request and looked at him oddly. "Why?"

"If I can't find them physically, then maybe I can scry them," he told her simply, already looking around the room for something suitable.

Eun Mi looked at him doubtfully for a moment but then shrugged and couldn't help but smile. He seemed so hopeful and she doubted he even realized he was still holding her hand. She covered his hands with her free one while she retracted the captured one and smiled, "Just wait." Easily, she retrieved one of her wooden gathering bowls and lifted a well hidden door in the floor in front of the fireplace.

Siwon gave her a startled look and then found himself inspecting the rest of her cabin that much closer. What else had he missed upon being here?

She disappeared quickly and then reappeared a moment later, moving at a slower pace, the bowl filled with water. "Most of my stores are down there," she explained simply at the curious expression he gave her, seeing nothing amiss with having such a store room.

"Ah…" Embarrassed by his way with words, or lack thereof, Siwon colored but reached for the mostly full bowl, hands trembling slightly as he brought it back to rest in his lap. When she sat down next to him on the stool, he was suddenly more nervous. "I've never tried this before," he finally admitted when she continued to watch with interest.

"Neither have I," she responded, looking between him and the bowl curiously.

When she didn't move, he asked, "Could you…give me a moment…by myself?" It felt odd to ask but she nodded and then glanced around as if looking for something to do.

"Of course," she started, taking a deep breath and standing up with a slightly annoyed look. "I need to go get some supplies from downstairs anyway," she assured him, forcing a cheerful smile. With one final look at her tables to see what she wanted, she returned to the open door and disappeared down the hatch.

Siwon waited a moment, listening intently as he heard containers being shifted and other slight busy sounds below. When he was sure she was gone for now, he licked his lips and stared at the shimmering surface of water intently. He hadn't the slightest idea how to do this… How did one scry anyway? The water elementalist scratched his head as he sought to remember what he had read in regards to that ability in the monastery. It wasn't one he'd really paid that much attention to. Manipulating water and throwing it in its various forms had seemed far more entertaining than staring at a bowl of water…like he was doing now.

How he wished he'd paid more attention then. "Focus," he told himself softly, taking another deep breath. "I just want to see them," he murmured to himself as his gaze unfocused and he recalled clearly every detail of their faces. Very slightly, he felt an answering pull in the water and when he blinked to look down, he was confused by the fragmented, blurry images. Snippets of faces showed up and he thought they were the others, but it was too confusing to tell.

The sight hurt his eyes and he finally had to push the bowl away to collect his thoughts again. With one hand over his eyes, he exhaled forcefully. No. That would be too much to ask to have them all together. So one at a time then… Leeteuk and Summer had been immediately next to him before they had been dumped in the river. "Where are you Leeteuk?" he whispered softly, pulling the bowl closer as he tried to picture the earth elementalist.

As he focused on just the one image, the water shimmered again and he felt power stir in the bowl as a picture formed clearly on the surface. A relieved and grateful smile crossed Siwon's face as he realized the other man was alive. The joy dimmed considerably when he saw the extent of the injuries, but he was alive! To his surprise, he also noticed Kharin nearby, standing close enough to support him if need be. She was less injured it seemed than her companion. Two…two were alive at least. But where were their companions?

Briefly, the image blurred and split into two again as he couldn't decide whether to look for Eleanara or Eunhyuk first. Eventually the former won out, if only because he was more worried about her having gotten out of the water. That fear was allayed quickly as she was hurrying along the bank of the river, pausing here and there at the edge and then rushing to catch up to…Kyuhyun. Well that was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one, none the less. Four of them. Would he be so lucky as to find the other two?

Carefully, he focused on Eunhyuk and as the image came to appear in the water, he winced automatically. The arm was impossible to miss, but right next to him was Summer. She was helping him to walk. Where were they going?

Relief was mixed strongly with confusion and concern. He wasn't sure how, but they had all managed to get out alive, although four of them were injured and they were all separated, much like he was. A frustrated groan escaped him as he threaded his fingers through his hair and glared at the bowl of water as if it should be able to do more.

"Well?" Eun Mi asked unobtrusively, halfway in the downstairs doorway.

Quickly, he removed his hands from his hair and he shifted the bowl of water to the stool beside him. "They're alive," he breathed heavily.

"Well that's good news," she smiled easily, pretending she didn't hear the worry in his voice. "That's better than what you knew this morning," she offered simply before she set a small bundle of herbs on the table nearest him and sat down to work.

Siwon murmured an agreement and then focused on the water bowl. Having looked and seen what had happened, he was torn. It had been bad enough not knowing what had happened to them and not being able to help. Now though…knowing what happened to them and not being able to do a damn thing about it might well have been worse. In an effort to stop thinking about them he focused on the woman across from him again. "Eun Mi?" he asked softly.

"Hmm?" she queried, her eyes focused on what she was working on. It looked like she was grinding something up in a mortar and pestle.

"Why are you helping me?" he finally asked, his eyes wary and intense.

Eun Mi paused in what she was doing and carefully set the tools down on the table as she sighed. Without turning around, she asked in return, "Isn't the fact that you're an elementalist enough?" There was a curious almost disappointed tone to her words.

Siwon frowned and shook his head slightly. Vividly, he recalled Farwell Crossing and he barked a laugh. "Not really."

Now she laughed sharply and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "And I suppose you would have had me leave an injured man lying by the side of the river?"

When asked that way, it did seem an odd thought. "Well…no, but why are you here by yourself?" That was not easy to dismiss and his eyes traveled the extent of the home again, searching for additional signs of habitation.

Now she looked thoughtful and then annoyed. "I never said I was alone," she explained, somewhat crossly. Almost in reflex, she glanced out the window as if looking for someone. She missed the flash of alarm that crossed Siwon's face as he followed her gaze reactively.

As if in answer to the unspoken query, they both heard someone moving around near the front and while Eun Mi smiled broadly, Siwon's face paled and he looked around quickly for something to arm himself with. Nothing came to hand immediately but with a small breath, he recalled he wasn't weaponless as he waited to see what happened next.

"Eun Mi!" a masculine voice called out as the door opened easily, letting a tall young man step through the door.

"Welcome back, Yong-Soo," she smiled, hurrying over to help him immediately.

The newcomer smiled at her enthusiasm before he noticed the young man sitting upright in her bed, clothed but obviously injured, and he stiffened. "Eun Mi," he stated quietly, his tone full of warning. "Who's that?" Wary brown eyes regarded each other carefully as the newcomer looked from the young woman to the injured man and stayed there.

* * *

><p>The night was long for both Kharin and Leeteuk as they progressed slowly towards Corley Port down river. For Kharin, who was getting used to dealing with shadows, a decided lack of light could have been considerably worse. In Leeteuk's case, each step in the night was dangerous…a misstep waiting to happen and more pain than he wanted to contemplate. By the time dawn finally arrived, he was pale and shaking from the effort of walking and the constant pain every step caused him.<p>

When it finally did turn light, it gave them both pause to be able to see their injuries. At dawn's emergence they could clearly see the expected bruises but Leeteuk's ankle was more swollen than he had anticipated and the foot was turned at an odd angle. It just looked decidedly wrong. Having visual confirmation of what he had been feeling was more overwhelming than he had initially thought it would be and he was forced to sit down. "Oh boy," he exclaimed as he slumped onto a quickly raised stone seat and took another deep breath, returning the crutches to the earth easily.

"Teuk?" Kharin asked softly as she came closer to have a better look. A grimace crossed her face when she reached towards the mangled limb and then pulled her hand back uncertainly.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper.

She had absolutely no idea what to say just then. Everything that came to mind was the obvious and he could already see how bad it was. "You should soak that," she suggested somewhat lamely, pointing at the river not that far from them. She heard him groan and could wholly empathize with the thought, but they had nothing else and whether she liked it or not, she was going to have to see if she could set it… A slight shudder shook her at the thought.

Leeteuk grumbled under his breath some more but there was no real fight in him. Reluctantly, he called up another pair of crutches and lifted himself into their embrace before returning the seat to the ground and hobbling over to the water. Kharin was right next to him, watchful and supportive. He used a similar process to get down to the water. If nothing else, they could get a drink too while they were here.

The cold bite of the river was painful at first and then welcomed as it helped to alleviate the constant throbbing of the broken limb. Uncertainly, he took a moment to watch Kharin as she looked over herself, viewing the injured shoulder and turning away so she could inspect her left side. With an annoyed sigh, he turned his gaze to his own body and pulled the neck of the shirt open to see down the front. Colorful splotches were coming in nicely but they were tender rather than painful; one thing he was grateful for.

"I definitely bruised a rib or two," Kharin muttered as she glared at the purplish color spreading up and down her side. In agitation, she pulled her shirt back down and looked at Leeteuk. Her overall mobility wasn't greatly reduced but her range of motion with her left arm was fairly limited. "Looks like we've gotten ourselves into a good little mess," she sighed, looking up and down the river again. They had hoped to be able to see more in the daylight but everything seemed just as bleak as it had during the night.

Perhaps the pair rested longer than they intended to but they were both getting themselves ready for what was coming next. It was still early morning when Leeteuk looked over at Kharin and he took a weary, worried breath. "Okay… Let's get this over with."

Reluctantly, Kharin looked at him and she bit her lip. Leeteuk's normally composed face was etched with nervous tension and remnants of pain the water had not been able to wash away. It took her a moment to compose herself as her heart started to beat rapidly in response to her part. When he pulled the mangled limb from the water, her heart fell and she swallowed hard. Gods she didn't want to do this… Nervously, she nodded as she settled herself at his foot, rotating her sore arm to make sure she was going to be able to handle it. "I'm sorry," she told him preemptively, her own gaze nervous and uncertain.

"Me too," he breathed, trying to force himself to stay calm. His ankle was slightly misaligned and turned at an awkward angle so that he cringed every time he looked at it. When she prodded the break gently to get a feel, he couldn't help but hiss at the pain and she jerked as if he had struck her. "It's okay," he stated through clenched teeth. "Just do what you have to."

"Teuk. Don't watch," she warned, nervous about his reaction. Several emotions raced across his face at the suggestion and she was mildly satisfied that he agreed with her when he lay back and covered his face with his hands. Fervently, she wished Eleanara were here to heal it the easy way, but failing that, she understood in general what she needed to do.

With another deep breath to steel herself, she gingerly reached down and grasped his foot, cringing when he flinched and whimpered in reaction. She waited for him to relax slightly, hoping he wasn't trying to wait for it, before she pulled firmly on the limb. If she hadn't been expecting it, she might well have stopped entirely when he screamed in agony, his back arching reactively, as she felt the bone oh so slowly grate back into place. His other leg dug into the ground and pushed against her legs forcefully as she pulled and all she could hear was his voice screaming at her to stop.

He was sobbing uncontrollably by the time she finished. When she let the limb go and set it to the ground as softly as she could, she found herself shaking in reaction. For a moment, she couldn't even speak as she tried to pull herself together enough to bind it. Numbly, she pulled off one of the layers of damp clothes from her shoulder and, having to improvise again, used a shaky, stationary shadow blade to cut the fabric into strips. She knew she'd need to splint it, but for now, she just wanted to make sure it was wrapped.

By feel and his reactions, she took the strips and wound them as firmly as she dared around the now set limb, flinching every time she pulled too tight. "Almost done, Teuk," she murmured, trying for the soothing tone Eleanara employed so easily. "Just a bit more…"

When he finally felt the pain subside to a seemingly permanent ache instead of the sharp spikes he had endured while she cared for it, Leeteuk opened his eyes and took several shuddering breaths, cringing when he tasted blood on his tongue. Belatedly, he realized his left hand hurt and that he had bitten into the fleshy part of his hand just beneath his thumb, drawing blood without realizing it. At last, he let out a relieved groan and let his head loll to the side weakly. "Huh?" he was briefly disoriented when he felt hands carefully lift his shoulders and head up as Kharin slipped behind him, offering him a prop to rest against as she wrapped her good arm firmly across his chest. He was grateful for the contact and the support.

Little did he know she needed it as much as he did. Kharin held Leeteuk to her and rocked gently, trying to calm herself down as much as him. She had several emotions running through her just then, not the least of which was an incredibly strong wave of anger at Enrhyll for his construct having put them in this position. Fear and worry warred inside and a desperate need to know the others were alright. She fervently hoped that none of them had to go through anything like this. Unusually patient, she waited for him to fall asleep against her before she extracted herself carefully, making sure not to wake him.

She didn't miss the wound he had done to himself as his left hand bled sluggishly but right now her concern was finding something to stabilize the ankle. He could probably provide rock supports but she worried the rods would be too heavy. Slowly, she scoured the river bank for suitable pieces of driftwood, taking note of pieces she could work with. Eventually, she procured two relatively straight and lightweight pieces she could use and returned, setting them to the side. She would deal with that when he woke up.

Kharin wasn't typically good at waiting. Generally, she was a woman of action, but right now, she had very little desire to do much of anything. The desire to find the others conflicted with her body's desire for rest and her psyche's need to come to terms with what they had just accomplished. She laid the rest of the clothes out to dry and pawed through the rather unappetizing looking leftovers from their rations, giving them the same chance to air dry. Periodically, she checked up and down the river, hoping against hope she would see someone…

By midafternoon, she decided they needed to get moving again. Regretfully, she moved next to her sleeping companion and gently shook his shoulder. "Leeteuk," she stated, watching him come back to consciousness groggily. "Wake up," she urged, already reaching for the splint pieces she had prepared. "We need to get going."

With an aggrieved sigh, Leeteuk sat up and grimaced, feeling achy all over. Slowly, he nodded as he rubbed his face with his hands, feeling slightly better for the nap but no less sore. He almost jumped when he felt her hands on his ankle, still tender, before he forced himself to relax and concede she was splinting it. Painfully, he grit his teeth as he watched her bind the wood to either side and finally, he was able to try standing again. When he called the crutches and attempted his awkward walking pattern, he nodded. "It's better. Not great, but better," he assured her with a wan smile.

"I'm glad," she smiled weakly, picking up the clothes she had set out to dry and retrieving some of the foodstuff. "Here," she offered a mass of mushy looking meat. "It's not great but it's edible," she assured him with an apologetic smile.

He simply nodded gratefully. Food was welcome just now as they had nothing else at present. The texture left much to be desired but at least it tasted vaguely like food. Tentatively, he tested his ankle and immediately gave up on the idea of even trying to walk on it. "Ergh… That's going to take some time," he exhaled heavily.

"If you break your ankle again, Teuk. So help me," Kharin glared at him, hands on her hips.

An apologetic laugh escaped him. "I have no plans on that one." Once was more than enough, given what he had just endured. Not only that but his crutches were heavy… Even slender stone still weighed more than he would have opted for if he had a choice. "Let's see how far we can travel today," he encouraged, putting on as brave a face as he could.

Kharin nodded in agreement and took up the spot directly next to him. Determinedly, she ignored her encroaching hunger and kept an eye out for anything she might be able to try and take down. If she did find something, she didn't know how they would cook it…but at least it would be something.

* * *

><p>With Eleanara's light spell bobbing above her head through the rest of the night, travel wasn't difficult, but she was highly distracted by every flicker of something different along the bank of the river and paused frequently. In the lead, Kyuhyun found himself constantly pulling up short to keep from walking blindly into the darkness because of it and he was getting more and more annoyed by the stops. He couldn't deny that she hadn't found anything, such as someone's shirt and one of their travel cloaks, but their companions were still persistently absent.<p>

Not only that, but she was steadily slowing down and he was having to slow down with her because of it. To her credit, she did not complain when she had to run to catch up to him, but the constant variation in their travel speed was beginning to grate on his nerves. She also had a habit of running up to offer him the waterskin periodically; a gesture he found both aggravating and welcome. Eventually, she just left it with him and he slung it over his shoulder for easy keeping.

When dawn arrived, she was able to let the light spell drop, but with a more visible area, her attention became even more fractured. Eleanara was overwhelmed by her inability to do anything or find anyone. Consumed by worry and a constant fear she was going to miss something, her hyper vigilance was wearing her down. She could acknowledge it but every time she forced herself to take a breath, she would see Kyuhyun and recall how badly he had been injured.

Kyuhyun grit his teeth as the morning slowly progressed but when he heard her run off to the side again and then stumble as she had been doing more frequently, he stopped and looked back at her, an annoyed frown on his face. His focus had been forward progression and she was holding that up.

She had found another waterskin washed up on the river bank and looked mournfully downstream for a moment before realizing she was staring and then rushed back to him. As soon as she saw his expression, she ducked her head and winced, murmuring, "Sorry…"

He tried very hard not to stalk over to where she stood so uncertainly before him and did indeed manage a reasonable walk before he snatched her hand and dragged her along. "Come on already," he muttered, returning to his speed.

Determined not to be a further burden, Eleanara tried to keep up but between her healing efforts last night, the lack of food and her own generally weaker constitution, she felt herself stumbling often, dragging on Kyuhyun's arm heavily. Every time, she punctuated the slip with another apology.

Frustrated by her inability to keep up with him, he finally muttered, "Of all the people to be stuck with…" His voice trailed off as he realized it was perhaps a bit harsher than he intended for it to sound. He felt her hand slip from his as he continued forward and she purposefully stopped. "Ugh… What now?" he demanded as he turned around.

Eleanara was staring at him with wide hazel green eyes and her hands clenched into fists in front of her. "Do you really dislike me so much?" she asked, her voice wavering as she spoke.

"What?" Kyuhyun asked, automatically confused, annoyance replaced with utter bafflement. "I never said I disliked you," he defended himself.

"But…just now you said-" she started to say before he cut her off.

"I say stuff all the time," he grumbled, looking away from her for a moment, unable to meet the hurt in her eyes.

"And you usually mean it!" she retorted as she felt tears start to well up, unbidden. Angrily, she scrubbed at them and stammered on, "I kn-know I'm not like the o-others. I know I-I-I'm weak. B-b-but that doesn't mean I'm use-use-use…" Her final word was lost as her face crumpled and she started crying in earnest as she covered her face with her hands and bawled.

Distinctly uncomfortable, Kyuhyun looked at Eleanara and then at everywhere but her, at a loss. He had seen her cry before and was familiar with that, but this… This was wholly different and it didn't seem as if she was going to stop anytime soon. Awkwardly, he moved closer, wishing distinctly that Kharin or Leeteuk were here. They knew how to handle her far better than he did. She was so different from him and especially from Kharin and Summer who at least retaliated when he started something.

Uncertainly, he reached out to grab her shoulder and was surprised when she pulled away, turning her back to him. Well, that was unusual. "Nara," he spoke softly, stepping closer and abruptly pulling her still crying form into the circle of his arms.

She struggled briefly, pushing against him half-heartedly. "L-let me g-go," she sobbed. When he did not, she buried her face in his chest and gripped him tightly.

With a mixture of feelings, Kyuhyun continued to hold her, surprised by her seeming frailty. The last time he had held her had been when they started this journey and she had seemed considerably more substantial then. "It's going to be okay, Nara," he finally murmured, holding her close.

Her sobs calmed slowly, but her strength remained the same as she clung to him. It felt as if she were to let go she would be washed away as if she had never been. "I'm not useless," she eventually murmured quietly as she turned her head to be better heard.

Kyuhyun felt a flash of annoyance and determinedly pushed it away. "No," he agreed after a pause. She wasn't fast, strong, much of a fighter or anything physical, but she definitely wasn't useless. "You saved me, didn't you?" he prompted when she didn't respond. He felt her nod against his chest.

"But I can't save them," she whispered sadly, her grip on him finally relaxing.

"Not standing here, we can't," he replied automatically. He cringed preemptively but was surprised when she simply nodded.

"No. You're right," she assured him as she finally stepped back, scrubbing at the remnants of tears on her face in mild embarrassment. Having spent herself crying, she felt unaccountably better but incredibly weak and tired. As soon as Kyuhyun released her, she swayed slightly on her feet and flushed harder. She was glad when he reached back out to steady her and she looked apologetic again.

A semblance of his old self returning, Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and laughed with a half-smirk. "You are nothing but trouble," he chuckled. Had he said that earlier, Eleanara might easily have misunderstood it, but she could hear in his tone and see in his eyes that while he meant what he said, there was no malice in it.

"Noted," she shrugged half-heartedly, a faint smile on her face, and laid her hand on his wrist lightly.

"Come on," he snorted, as he turned his back to her and knelt in front of her. "You're dead on your feet," he added with a raised brow in her direction, daring her to argue.

Eleanara sighed but didn't even attempt to try. She was still infinitely worried but there was nothing she could do for anyone right now. They were both as healed as they were going to be and she had managed to wear herself out…again. One of these days… Resignedly, she climbed carefully to perch on his back, placing her arms loosely across his chest.

As Kyuhyun hefted her up, she started to relax further, lulled easily by the steady rhythm of his walking pace. Quite like he expected, it did not take her long to fall asleep. With another amused laugh, he quietly stated again, "Nothing but trouble."


	21. Chapter 21

When Kharin and Leeteuk had headed out after having set the latter's ankle, they had been at least moderately hopeful of their situation. They were both alive, if injured, and were well enough to move, which was a very good thing, but as the day wore on and hunger continued to gnaw at them, that hoped seemed a fragile thing indeed. Port Corley didn't seem to be getting that much closer either, as the day wore on and dusk threatened.

One highlight Kharin was moderately happy about was that she did end up finding a medium sized woodland creature to slay. She was still distressed at her success since the shadow blade she threw had ended up decapitating the creature, which she could only presume was some sort of pig they had seen on the edge of the forest. It was short lived though, since they had food, even if they did have to be creative about how to prepare it.

Their survival skills were not extensive, but since the monastery had been fairly self-sufficient, most of the occupants knew at least the basics. Starting the kitchen fire, or their own room fire for that matter, by hand had been a skill they had all acquired. With his ability, Leeteuk was able to fashion a pair of flint stones and while Kharin was busy tackling the messy job of preparing the creature into more manageable pieces, he attempted to start a fire. Kharin had one shirt left from this morning and he used part of it, now quite dry, with additional deadfall to get a fire going with some difficulty. His earth ability was also useful in providing prongs to roast the meal on.

While Kharin, disgusted by the amount of blood she had managed to get on her person, quickly went back to the river to clean up, Leeteuk started cooking. None of them were great cooks but when all he was doing was roasting a hunk of meat over a fire, it was kind of hard to go wrong. Erring on the side of caution, he did manage to overcook it a bit. Even then, with it being as bland and tough as it was, they both ate hungrily. It was the first bright spot they'd managed to create for themselves since fighting the construct.

As night settled over the pair like an unwelcome blanket, they stared at the flickering fire, deep in thought and actually relatively physically content. Kharin had thrown the rest of the creature they couldn't use into the woods and Leeteuk was finishing up cooking the rest of it to take with them. The shadow elementalist pulled her knees to her chest and rested her arms on top of them. "Do you think they're okay?"

"Yes," Leeteuk answered, almost by rote, his eyes still slightly out of focus as he listened to the ground, one hand pressed firmly to it.

His immediate answer annoyed her. "How can you be so sure?" she asked irritably. It bothered her he didn't even think about it.

The earth elementalist blinked several times and then focused on her as he pulled himself to concentrate more on her question. "I can't," he admitted after a pause, making her frown. "But I have to believe it." His eyes turned thoughtful and then warm as a smile played on his lips and Kharin knew immediately who he was thinking about.

In a way, she supposed he was right. It only hurt more to think they weren't okay out here. Even if they were wrong, at least they could believe for a time. It was a sad thought…one that prompted her to speak again, "You should just tell her how you feel." She focused her green eyes on the earth elementalist and waited to see how he would respond.

Leeteuk's smile faded as his brows pulled down in confusion briefly. "Huh? Tell who what?"

Kharin had to laugh, recalling Kyuhyun's comment towards her when they had been caught in the thunderstorm. No…she was not as bad as Leeteuk in that regard. "Eleanara," she prompted.

"She knows how I feel," he assured her automatically. "I care about her like I care about all of you," he elaborated.

Kharin smacked her face with an open hand and laughed. "You can't be that blind," she laughed as she peaked through her fingers at the bewildered elementalist. "Or maybe you can." Her amusement faded with a sigh. "You should tell her you love her," she stated, pointing a finger at him sternly.

Even more bewildered now, Leeteuk looked at her and then looked away, the wheels in his head turning. He loved them all. He knew that much, but as he went back over the moments he had spent with the group in his mind, he had to admit he had a fair few that came back to her.

With a sly smile, Kharin watched the thoughts cross through his head. "You're doing it again," she laughed as the warmth returned to his face.

Leeteuk ducked his head and smiled harder. This time, the warm feeling didn't quite dissipate as quickly. Eager to get the topic off him, he looked back at her and gestured, "And Eunhyuk?"

"I'm working on that," she admitted, quite happy to let the slow smile show as she thought about him. His infectious smile, the striking blonde hair, brown eyes she could look into for hours and the way he moved… With new resolution, she nodded to herself. "We will find them," she spoke softly, raising her eyes to meet Leeteuk's across the fire.

He nodded in agreement, his expression still thoughtful and warm. Somehow, they would. Reluctant to let go of that moment, he glanced up to see the moon and the stars. It was getting late… With a heavy sigh, he wrapped the rest of the cooked meat in the remains of the shirt and swallowed the fire in the earth. "Come on, Kharin. Let's get some sleep," he suggested, waving her closer to him. "We both need the rest so I'm going to close us in tonight," he explained, already starting to pull a shelter up around him.

Kharin shuddered briefly. She was sure she wasn't the only one that didn't like being 'trapped' as it were, but to provide them safety and assure rest, it was the only way really. "Okay…" she sighed, carefully settling herself next to him as he crafted the earth around them.

The shelter was lower than usual but it surrounded them entirely before he poked several holes and crafted various slits to allow the air to move freely. "It's just a precaution," he assured her. "And if anything big heads our way, I should hear it." Namely, through the ground, but he would be aware one way or the other.

"If you say so," she murmured, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes. If something did happen, she would deal with it when it got here…

* * *

><p>Kyuhyun was able to carry Eleanara for at least a little while before his own reserves started to fail. He had been a bit overly optimistic when he offered to carry her for any length of time and his body was reminding him of that quite forcefully. With some grumbling at his inability to continue forward, Kyuhyun paused and looked over his shoulder at the sleeping woman there. "Nara," he spoke firmly, trying to avoid having to call her again.<p>

Startled by the sound, Eleanara flinched and returned to consciousness quickly enough. While comfortable, riding on someone's back wasn't conducive to sleeping for great lengths of time. "Kyu?" she queried, readjusting herself slightly.

"I need to take a break," he admitted reluctantly, already letting her legs go so she could slide off.

Reflexively, she grabbed at his shoulders and pulled him back a step before she was able to lower herself to the ground without falling off. "Sorry," she murmured at his annoyed look. It wasn't as if she meant to throw him off balance.

He waved at her dismissively after a moment and sighed, "Never mind." Promptly, he wandered off the road and threw himself down on the grass, laying out to stare up at the sky. A handful of fluffy clouds floated by overhead, crossing in front of the sun that was nearly directly above them and casting them in shade.

Uncertainly, Eleanara pulled the waterskin that was still slung behind her out and took a sip, wandering over to the river to refill it before moving to kneel next to Kyuhyun. She felt steadier for the nap, but she could tell they were both starting to get worn down. Her stomach grumbled plaintively and she frowned. Water did nothing to make her feel less hungry and she hadn't found anything along the riverbank that might be edible either. Curiously, she looked over at the tree line of the forest and sighed. There might be something there… She couldn't hunt anything but that did not mean she wouldn't be able to find something to eat. "Wait here, Kyu. I'll be back in a bit," she assured him softly as she touched his nearest arm, seemingly without thought as she was still looking at the forest.

His eyes shifted to look at her and then he shrugged. "Don't be gone too long," he warned, making himself more comfortable. Quietly, he heard her depart and then promptly lost track of time as he closed his eyes. With a start, he came to, feeling vaguely disoriented and then blind as he looked up at the sun still directly overhead. He shielded his eyes with his hand and then looked around. "Eleanara?" he asked, sitting up. When he didn't see her on the road or by the river, he started to get concerned before he looked behind him towards the forest. What was she doing this time…?

Eleanara made another face as the berry she tasted proved to be as sour as the last one she had found. She had deliberated for a while before trying anything and had finally resigned herself to attempting it with the fervent hope she could cure poison as she had been told in the monastery. The ones she had found had been smooth and green, with pretty yellow flowers sprouting throughout the bush. Edible or not, they were incredibly sour. The handful of darker, more red ones were slightly less so but still hard to eat. By now, she figured that the way her stomach was reacting was due to the disagreeable taste of the berry rather than any noxious effects. At least they didn't smell bad.

She nearly dropped the bunch she had gathered in the bottom of her shirt when Kyuhyun came up behind her, "What are you doing?"

The light elementalist stood up swiftly and whirled around, startled. "Oh, Kyu," she laughed nervously, taking a deep breath. "I found some berries we could eat," she explained with a shrug, moving closer to him to show her bounty.

Kyuhyun frowned at her. "Are you sure they're safe?"

"Mostly," she nodded with a shrug. "They're very sour, but I've had no ill effects yet so…"

His eyes widened and he smacked his forehead with his palm. "You tried them without knowing what kind they were?"

Eleanara frowned back at him and responded firmly, "We need food. Would you rather I have had you try them first?"

A little guiltily, he looked at her, feeling just a bit abashed in that he really wouldn't have preferred to have been the tester as it were. "You should have at least told me what you were doing," he mumbled in annoyance.

"I didn't want to disturb you," she admitted quietly. He had given her a chance to rest and catch her breath. It had been the least she could do to try and offer him the same.

Kyuhyun groaned softly under his breath and sighed. "So?" he asked instead, peering down at the collection of berries she was carrying.

"Hm?" she chirped, briefly confused before she saw his focus. "Oh. They're very sour," she explained uncertainly, disappointed she hadn't been able to find anything more appetizing. "The darker ones are a bit sweeter though," she offered, extending the makeshift basket out so he could see better.

Tentatively, he tried one of the darker ones and he was glad she'd warned him. Even considering it was supposed to be better than the green ones, it was quite startling. Immediately, he swallowed as quickly as he could, grateful she had politely looked away and hadn't laughed at him as he half-expected. "Ugh…"

"Sorry," she murmured, waiting for him to go ahead and take some more.

"You say that too often," he grimaced as he reached for another handful reluctantly.

"Sor-" she stopped short when he glared at her and swallowed the word. Instead, she took another small handful and chewed it resolutely, cringing when the sour taste overwhelmed her taste buds. "At least it's something," she gasped.

Kyuhyun coughed as the mouthful he had went down slowly. "Right…"

They ate as quickly as they could and washed the potent flavor down with more fresh water before resuming their trek. Kyuhyun took the lead again and Eleanara continued her pattern of lagging in search of more signs but she wasn't as distracted this time. He kept looking back to check on her but she seemed to have managed to regain a measure of her focus.

Mildly restored by the taste of food and the small break, the pair continued on their path. They were a bit slower than before and Eleanara continued to keep an eye out along the woods to see if she could find anything else to eat, but this far out, her sight wasn't that great. The sun continued to travel through the sky, reminding them as the shadows shifted that night was coming. Both acknowledged they would not be able to walk through the evening again.

With darkening expressions, the pair watched the sun finally sink beneath the horizon and they debated briefly on where to sleep. Both desired a modicum of protection but the woods were not a place they wanted to sleep unguarded. The road simply felt too open, as did the grassy strip between the forest and the path. Finally, they decided to stay near the river, which provided at least one natural barrier for their peace of mind.

Eventually, they settled down, foregoing both a watchlight and the fire. There was no point. As much as they wanted a watch, both needed the sleep too much and the lights might only draw additional unwanted attention to them. Kyuhyun watched Eleanara for a while in the dim light. She was impossible to hear over the sound of the river, but he knew she wasn't sleeping yet. "Nara. Go to sleep," he told her finally.

She rolled over to look at him in the moonlight. "I'm trying," she stated softly, the words almost lost in the background sound.

Kyuhyun didn't justify that with a response. He sighed and rolled onto his back instead, cradling his head in his hands. Idly, he wondered how the others were. Could they see the stars too? Briefly, he was distracted when he heard the sound of her shifting again. He peered over and was surprised to see her kneeling next to him, looking very uncertain. "What's up?" he asked bluntly. She asked him something quietly so that he couldn't hear her over the river. "What?" he asked again, confused.

Her discomfit grew as she had to repeat herself so she blurted, "Can I stay with you?"

He eyed her blankly, her posture radiating uncertainty. Finally, he groaned and extended an arm. "Come on," he gestured in resigned acceptance. Carefully and before he could change his mind, Eleanara slid next to the fire elementalist and curled into the hollow provided by his body. Reassured by the physical presence of another, she was able to slip into unconsciousness swiftly, to his perturbed amusement. Somewhat awkwardly, he rested his free hand on her shoulder and took another deep breath. To his own surprise, the contact was welcome; a gentle reminder he wasn't alone or facing this by himself. "Good night, Nara," he whispered as he followed her in sleep.

* * *

><p>Completely unperturbed by the question, Eun Mi looked back at the injured man on her bed and then back at Yong-Soo. "This is Siwon. The water Elementalist," she added for good measure when he still looked skeptical.<p>

Yong-Soo's eyes looked from Siwon to Eun Mi and back, his gaze skeptical before the other man pulled the amulet out from his shirt to validate the claim. Brown eyes widened in surprise and he focused on the young woman. "You could have warned me," he whispered quietly as he leaned close to her, trying not to draw additional attention to himself.

Eun Mi shrugged as she glanced back at Siwon with an unreadable expression before focusing on Yong-Soo again. "I found him when I was refilling the water stores at the river this morning," she explained, slightly annoyed at having to offer an explanation.

"Found him?" the young man asked, clearly moderately distressed.

She nodded in answer and gestured to the corner that still had his pack. "He was half-drowned and waterlogged but breathing." At Yong-Soo's frown she rolled her eyes. "I was careful. There was room in the cart for him and the water," she muttered.

"Aish!" he exclaimed with a hand over his face. To hear his cousin carting an Elementalist about like so much cargo…

Siwon watched the exchange with a growing sense of amusement and confusion. At last, he cleared his throat as it seemed they had forgotten about him. "Excuse me," he interjected firmly, satisfied when both their heads turned. "I'm a bit confused," he admitted, looking from one person to the other, trying to figure out their vastly different points of view.

Yong-Soo looked mildly aggrieved. Hurriedly, he pushed the brace of dead birds he had been carrying in his other hand at Eun Mi. "Take care of these," he sighed with a lamentable shake of his head.

"Hey!" she cried indignantly, fuming at being dismissed so easily. Grumbling under her breath, she stomped outside to go clean them.

He waited until she had closed the door behind her before he moved to take a seat next to Siwon's bed with a mixture of uncertainty and awe. "Forgive me, Siwon, sir," he started awkwardly, bowing while seated on the stool. "My name is Yong-Soo," he offered his hand in greeting, pleased when the Elementalist accepted it firmly.

Taken aback by the considerably different reaction, Siwon looked out the window to see Eun Mi busily working at her task and then glanced back at the newcomer. "It is nice to meet you?" he started somewhat uncertainly.

Yong-Soo seemed to understand his uncertainty and he sighed as his gaze looked out the window as well. "I am sorry, Master Siwon. I am guessing she hasn't told you anything…" His voice trailed off in silent query. Siwon shook his head, his expression guarded. "No. I suppose she wouldn't," Yong-Soo breathed, somewhat annoyed. "Undoubtedly you have many questions. Please. If I may be of assistance, I would like to help," he assured the young man. He appeared to be of a similar age to him, and Yong-Soo figured he might actually be older. Still, he knew well that age had little to do with one's power.

Still slightly overwhelmed, Siwon simply repeated the question she had avoided earlier. "Why is she…are you…why would you help me?" he stumbled.

The young man took a second to think it over and then went on, "Initially, the Healer's Code. Her mother drilled it in her early," Yong-Soo laughed lightly. "With some exceptions, you don't leave an injured person to die," he explained.

Siwon nodded in understanding at that, as Eleanara had a similar tendency that had only become more prominent as she came into her power. "So her mother is a healer too?" he asked, sending another curious glance at the strange young woman outside.

"Yes. She is an herbalist in Port Corley," he explained. "While her mother runs the shop, Eun Mi comes here to gather and prepare herbs every couple months. Sedgewood forest has an abundance of supplies they use and sell but it takes time to get them ready. So we spend a few weeks out here and then go home when we're done," he explained with a shrug, his nervousness starting to fade the more he spoke with the elementalist.

At the sensible explanation, Siwon felt himself relax a bit more. He had to wonder why Yong-Soo was so open with information where Eun Mi hadn't been but he was getting to that. "You said initially she helped me for the Healer's Code. Why else?"

Yong-Soo nodded at that question and pulled back his right sleeve to reveal a decorative wrist cuff. When he removed that, Siwon could see the same symbol on the inside of his wrist that Summer wore around her neck and the symbol on Enrhyll's pennants. Alarm flared to life within him and he met the young man's gaze warily, his muscles tensing automatically. "It's alright," Yong-Soo urged him, holding his hands up so that he could see he wasn't going to try anything. "Enrhyll stole the symbol for himself," he explained swiftly. "It belongs to the Order of the Elements."

It felt as if Siwon had been hit in the head with a brick. Carefully, he focused on the symbol again and then forced himself to take another breath. Summer was not the only one to wear that symbol. In the monastery, they had seen it with Sinrielle in the burial chamber. None of them had paid attention to it at the time, but Yoogin had said that she was originally from the Elementalist Order. "Both of you?" he asked uncertainly. That definitely explained why she was nonplussed with him…

"Enrhyll was one of our members until he got his power," Yong-Soo sighed, still puzzled by how that had come about.

"And now that he has power, he's _still_ nothing more than a murdering bastard," Eun Mi muttered darkly from the window, startling both of them.

Yong-Soo regarded her with a familiar annoyed frown. "If you're done, come inside to talk."

"Almost," she grumbled as she removed herself from the window reluctantly, still visibly seething.

At Siwon's baffled look, Yong-Soo went on to explain, "Enrhyll's father was the Head Priest of our Order. Somehow, Enrhyll gained the power of the elements about two years ago. Around that time, he murdered the Head Priest."

Siwon's frown was severe as he went over the implications of that in his mind. If Enrhyll had come from this order, then he would have been familiar with the elements already. That certainly helped to explain his working knowledge of them…especially if he was able to create the constructs they had to fight. But how did he get the power? The bodies of the Elementalists had been watched over for hundreds of years in the Northsage Monastery and it was their spiritual presence that had imparted the power to them. "And so he thought himself a god?"

Yong-Soo laughed bitterly at that question. "Master Shin was always overly fond of Enrhyll. His attention did little to hinder his son's sense of self-importance."

Eun Mi's frown was equally fierce as she stepped back inside and caught the tail end of that conversation. "That spoiled brat has always had a big head and father never could see it," she stated angrily, covering her mouth immediately after the words slipped out.

It took a moment for the statement to sink in and while Yong-Soo did not react any differently, Siwon felt his world shift slightly. "You're his sister?" he asked in disbelief.

"Half," she spat quickly, a vague sense of self-loathing behind the word.

Yong-Soo got up slowly and helped to guide Eun Mi to the fireplace, closing the trapdoor first, where he then worked with her for a few minutes to get the stew started. It gave her time to calm down and Siwon time to pull himself together after that news. At least he was born a human…

When the silence became almost oppressive, Yong-Soo returned and picked up where he had left off. "We don't believe he knows some of the Order survived. He did destroy our temple…well, gathering place really, in Lornhaldt but the rest of us just lay low."

Still stunned by each new revelation, Siwon sat, dumbfounded by how little he knew. Granted, it probably wasn't widely known knowledge but as an Elementalist, he thought that maybe the Monastery would have had some sort of information… But maybe not, since they were only the caretakers of the Elementalists' bodies.

"Given what we know, for us to see you, an actual Elementalist, means a great deal," Yong-Soo breathed, new hope in his eyes. "You've come to fight him, haven't you?" he asked quietly, instantly perturbed when Eun Mi piped up behind him.

"A great lot of good he'll do banged up like he is and missing the others," she muttered.

Yong-Soo rolled his eyes and stood up to glare down at his younger cousin. Quickly, he reached out to smack her on the back of the head sharply. "Show some respect," he chided angrily as she winced and held her head with both hands.

Siwon grimaced at her words and then sighed at the demand for respect. She wasn't exactly wrong in her assumption but the fact he was alive was saying a great deal. "Please," he started, holding up his hand beseechingly. "I am grateful for her care and your answers, but she's not exactly wrong." It bothered him to admit it, but without the others, there was very little he could do by himself. "The others are alive, but I don't know where…"

Vindicated, Eun Mi glared at her cousin who seemed slightly put off. After a moment, he added, "It must have taken a great deal for you to become separated."

"You could say that," Siwon answered with a heavy sigh.

"Perhaps you would be able to explain a bit more after we eat?" Yong-Soo asked politely, already heading back to check on the stew.

"I'll get it," Eun Mi offered, rushing past him instead. Yong-Soo shrugged but let her take care of it as was her wont.

With a half-smile and a nod, Siwon agreed, "That I could."

Over the course of the afternoon, Siwon was able to explain the events that had led him to his current state. As he described their fight with the construct and was able to impart the power of the creature they were against, he watched awe come over Yong-Soo, but it was Eun Mi's reaction that intrigued him more. When he had first started speaking, she had listened, fairly detached from the telling. The more he spoke though, the more she paid attention and the more thoughtful she became as she regarded him carefully.

When he had recounted his surprise at waking up at all, she had scoffed, "A water Elementalist can't drown. That's just silly."

"Oh?" Yong-Soo has asked before Siwon could. "And how do you know?"

Eun Mi looked around uncomfortably before she answered, "I don't. But how else do you explain it?" Her answer prompted laughter from both of the men, to her consternation. "Well, how _would_ you explain it?" she demanded after a moment.

"I like your thought," Siwon admitted with a genuine smile.

"Oh," Eun Mi stated simply, looking slightly confounded at his admission and somewhat pleased.

"Indeed," Yong-Soo chuckled.

Distractedly, Siwon glanced out the window and noticed it was considerably later than he had thought. The sun was starting to set already. "Yong-Soo. Do you think you could hand me that water bowl?" he asked plaintively, pointing at the bowl he had used earlier for scrying.

"Of course," Yong-Soo nodded with a half-bow as he retrieved the bowl and handed it off.

Carefully, Siwon accepted the dish and then focused intently on the faces of his friends as he had found them earlier today. It was still distracting having others watch him but it wasn't so bad as before since he had gotten a feel for it at the time. Leeteuk shimmered into view, sitting next to a fire and roasting something. After a moment, Kharin walked into view and settled across from him on the other side of the fire, damp but well. Leeteuk's ankle was still bound and they looked in decent spirits. That at least made him somewhat relieved to know.

He focused on Eleanara and Kyuhyun next and as before, the former continued to drift off and then catch up but at least they were still together. They looked tired though. While he was glad that he could see they were okay, he hoped fervently that was actually the case. Both looked a bit haggard where the other two had seemed at least in better spirits.

Reluctantly, he shifted his focus to the last two and then looked at the bowl, perplexed. The pair were riding in the back of a cart. When did that happen? And where were they going? Slowly, he let the focus shift back to see if he would be able to get a better view of the area they were in and was surprised when he panned out enough to see another relatively large group of people on horses on the main road. Fortunately, it appeared that Summer and Eunhyuk were not on the same path, but when he focused in on the other group, he swallowed hard. It was a horse mounted patrol… That was new. They did not seem to notice the cart moving away from them.

"What's wrong?" Eun Mi asked softly, watching the concern play across his face.

Siwon shook his head slightly as he pushed the bowl away, clearing his vision. "I don't know if it's just coincidence or bad luck, but I saw one of Enrhyll's patrols near two of my companions." His eyes were haunted as he turned to look at the pair.

"That's not entirely unusual," Yong-Soo shrugged. "He's been sending patrols out all over the place. Though lately, they have been a bit scarce," he added with a look of confusion.

"We've run into a couple of them, but never a horse mounted patrol," Siwon explained, still puzzling it out.

Eun Mi and Yong-Soo exchanged concerned glances. Most of the patrols were footmen that had been recruited and sent out to help pacify rambunctious areas. A mounted patrol was typically only used by the Imperial guards on specific missions… "Odd…" she murmured, he expression concerned.

"Very," Yong-Soo agreed as he stood up and pointedly headed for the door. Easily, he slipped outside, closing the door behind him quietly. Siwon and Eun Mi exchanged curious glances. Just before she could step outside to see what he was doing, her cousin hurried back inside and bolted for the trap door in front of the fireplace. "Shit!" he gasped.

Thoroughly alarmed, Eun Mi hurried over to his side. "What's wrong?"

"The Imperial Guard!" he explained in a tight voice. Both Siwon and Eun Mi paled. "They must have split their forces," he muttered to himself as he hurried over to Siwon's bed. "Come on," he gestured, grabbing the still injured man and hauling him forcefully to his feet. A pained groan escaped the elementalist as his body refused to cooperate but he grit his teeth and followed along weakly. "Eun Mi. Get his pack," Yong-Soo gestured agitatedly as he half-carried, half-dragged the other man to the stairs and hobbled down.

"Okay!" she gasped, sprinting for the back corner where the pack was still resting. It was heavier than it looked and the maul dragged stubbornly behind her but she managed to haul it to the opening. Yong-Soo was there to retrieve it and he quickly carried it down before he came back up to retrieve Eun Mi.

"You stay here with him," he told her firmly, giving her a look that would brook no argument.

Simple fear latched onto her and she held tightly to his hand. "But what about you?" she asked hurriedly, glancing down at the dark enclosure Siwon was in.

"They saw me already. A small contingent was heading our way while the larger force continued on the main road. Hurry. They'll be here any minute," he explained as he pulled her down into the stairway and then moved back up, quickly lowering the door back over them. Fortunately, the trap door did not have a typical handle as they did not want just anyone able to find it. A small indent at the edge of the door was just enough to give their fingers purchase but not enough to draw undue attention…or so they hoped.

Eun Mi scampered down and found Siwon located at the back of the storeroom near the small shrine they had set up to continue their worship of the elements. That alone would be enough to get them in trouble, never mind the Elementalist. He was laying awkwardly on the floor where Yong-Soo had seemingly unceremoniously dumped him in his haste. "Shhh," she urged unnecessarily as she moved closer to him and propped his head and shoulders up on her legs to give him a better resting position. She didn't want all her hard work to be undone by this disturbance...if they got out of it at all.

"Is he going to be alright?" Siwon whispered, looking up at the worried herbalist in the dim lighting. He was distracted enough that the array of strange sights and smells weren't bothering him too much since he didn't know what was going to happen just yet. The shrine he would have liked to inspected more, but now was not the time…

"I hope so," she responded in a hushed tone, her eyes glued to the top of the stairs. She jerked and clung tighter to Siwon as they both heard a loud bang upstairs as the door was kicked open forcefully.

Yong-Soo's surprised cry was real enough in that and they heard his raised voice, "What's going on here?"

Heavy booted feet crossed the floor. There were at least three of them inside. "Just sit down," a deep voice commanded him, punctuated by a soft thud as Yong-Soo was forced back down on the chair he had been standing in front of.

"Hey!" he cried, indignant. Yong-Soo watched the three men as the one kept an eye on him and the other two searched in the cabin meticulously. There were not many hiding places but they looked everywhere, just in case. As he was watching them, he was distracted by the third man who leaned in close and grabbed his chin firmly.

"You," he started, glaring at the young man before him. "You haven't seen any strangers passing by have you?"

Yong-Soo allowed his brow to furrow in confusion. "Not of late, sir," he shook his head as much as the grip would allow and dropped his eyes. "This road has been very quiet lately." Which was true in and of itself. When Enrhyll stopped sending out so many patrols, this road in particular saw a great deal less use. People still went to and from Corley Port, but most of the travel was between there and Lornhaldt.

"Are you getting smart with me?" the guard growled, a menacing performance considering he towered over the young man in the chair.

"No, sir," Yong-Soo stated quickly, keeping his eyes down. The last thing he wanted to do was draw their ire. "Hey!" he cried as one of the men behind him pushed over one of the tables carelessly, sending herbs and various mixing bowls clattering to the floor.

He swiftly stood up in reaction and was surprised by the backhand that caught him across the cheek by a metal gauntlet. His body fell against the cot heavily as his head reeled, caught completely off guard.

Beneath, Eun Mi clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from making any sound when she heard her cousin get hit. Siwon gripped her hand firmly as he clenched his jaw shut tight. His natural inclination was to help but they were desperate to keep his presence hidden just now and he wasn't sure how much help he would be.

They watched the shadows of the soldiers move across the floorboards, the small slats flickering at their passing and she tensed visibly as they neared the fireplace. "Smells good," a new voice smirked as he hovered over the remnants of stew from this afternoon.

"Idiot," the first man stated, hitting the man in the head with a clang as his gauntlet connected with the other man's helmet. "We don't have time for that now. Come on," he growled, frustration evident in his voice.

It seemed to take an eternity before the heavy footsteps faded from above, leaving the cabin oddly quiet. Yong-Soo waited for even longer before he made any attempt to move about. His cheek still stung from the backhand and he knew there would be a bruise there. Balefully, he glared at the door and looked out the window as he saw the group heading up the road. Only when they were out of sight did he finally make any attempt to open the door for the two down below.

Light speared the pair as they huddled at the back, Eun Mi clutching Siwon in nervous tension and he staring wide eyed and alert. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, her voice trembling.

"I'm fine," Yong-Soo responded resignedly as he made his way down the stairs slowly. He had gotten off light if the stories about how the Imperial Guard was had any truth to them.

"Thank you," Siwon stated simply as he accepted the other man's aide in getting up. They both understood it was for more than just the help in getting up the stairs.

"We were able to help you, but your friends… You said they were along the river, yes?" he asked quietly, already dreading the answer.

"Yes. It seems I was washed down the furthest," Siwon replied, not understanding until a moment later.

"The patrol is heading upstream," Yong-Soo grimaced.

There were no words that Siwon could use to explain how distressed that statement made him. All of them, save Eunhyuk and Summer, were out in the open and easy targets. Of course they were able to defend themselves, but Kharin and Leeteuk at least were fairly injured and Eleanara and Kyuhyun did not look well enough to put up a concentrated defense. If the patrol he had seen near the others were following a similar pattern, then the other four would be caught in the middle.

Yong-Soo assisted Siwon up the stairs with considerably more care than he had in taking him down and then gently replaced him back in the cot. "Just rest now," he encouraged the elementalist sadly as he rested a hand briefly on the tall man's shoulder.

Siwon frowned as he struggled with everything at that moment. He didn't want to rest just then. He wanted to go out and help his friends…but his body betrayed him. It refused to move like he needed it to. In helpless frustration, his balled hand hit the frame of the cot and he grimaced, feeling the tightness in his throat grow worse.

Unobtrusively, Eun Mi wrapped her hand around his and took a seat next to the cot on the stool. She didn't say anything; just sat there, looking out the window, a quiet yet grounding presence. They heard Yong-Soo straightening the room as he righted the overturned table and then picked up the scattered items before he settled into one of the chairs and fell silent.

As full dark finally settled, Siwon watched the last vestiges of natural light disappear with a sinking feeling. He covered his face with his free hand and clenched his jaw, fighting tears at his own inability to do anything. Eun Mi's hand tightened over his own and he took a steadying breath. Nothing could be solved tonight…but in the morning, maybe something would change. Finally, he relaxed his hand and allowed his fingers to curl gently around hers before he let the one covering his eyes fall to his opposite side.

"Just sleep," she encouraged softly, her voice soothing in the dim light. Surprisingly, he listened as she watched his eyes close, shuttering the clouded, worried emotions that lay within them. She waited until his breathing evened out before she removed her hand and looked out the window again. A look over her shoulder showed her Yong-Soo regarding her thoughtfully. "We should get some sleep too," she told him, for lack of anything else to say.

Before he could get up, she walked over to him in the dim light, the fireplace providing the only illumination. She leaned over to get a better look at his cheek and ran gentle fingers over the darkening bruise there. "You can look at it in the morning," he assured her quietly as he carefully pushed her hand away. "It'll be alright."

Eun Mi stood up and sighed as she brushed off the front of her shirt self-consciously. "I hope you're right," she murmured before taking a step back.

He nodded as he stood up and laid himself out along the floor, quite comfortable with sleeping on the ground as he usually did anyway. Not quite so content to sleep on the bare floor, Eun Mi at least retrieved another blanket from under the bed quietly and then she crawled under one of her tables to be out from underfoot. It had certainly been an unexpectedly eventful day…


	22. Chapter 22

When Eunhyuk woke the following morning, he was groggy, sore and absolutely ravenous, all of which were pushed aside as realization of where he was settled in. The plush bed he was resting in was impossible to miss, as were the new clothes he wore, mostly hidden under the covers…clothes he did not remember putting on. He flushed bright red as he realized what likely had happened and then frowned as he slowly eased himself up to look around, muscles complaining bitterly. He had absolutely no idea of where he was.

Further inspection showed that his bad arm had been looked at and was currently wrapped firmly in clean gauze so that he couldn't actually see the still tender flesh beneath. His other wounds had been attended and he smelled fairly antiseptic, but clean as a tentative sniff of his person showed. The curiosity wore off quick enough though, replaced by other more immediate needs. A rumble from his stomach prompted him to frown and he gingerly moved to slide himself off the bed, noting for the first time it looked as if he had not slept alone.

Blankly, he stared at the other side of the bed and then finally shook himself free, not really wanting to puzzle it out. "Summer?" he called in a muted tone as his feet touched the unexpectedly carpeted floor. Even the inns they had stayed at didn't have covered floors… He was instantly alert, body tensed to react, when the door to his room cracked open slowly and a young woman, maybe a few years younger than him, slipped inside with a covered tray.

"Oh good. You're awake," she smiled as she saw him sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked a lot like a younger, more pampered version of Summer with the same eye color and familiar features but her hair was more of a reddish brown and her voice was a higher pitch too. He found it slightly grating actually.

Eunhyuk nodded warily and then eyed the tray with no small amount of longing. The most delicious scent had reached him and his stomach growled like a living thing. He glanced down, embarrassed and the new girl giggled, a more pleasant sound than her normal tone. "Where am I?" he managed to ask, despite being distracted and uncomfortable at being alone in a strange room with an unknown young woman nearby.

"You are in Silverberg Manor," she explained sweetly, a slightly haughty air about her as if he should know that fact already. "This is one of our guest rooms. The Wind Room as it were," she added, drifting over to the dining table near the middle of the room to set the tray down elegantly. At her explanation, the muted greens and the layout of the chamber made sense as the décor leaned towards wispy and light with flowing drapes and lots of swirls. He supposed they were supposed to indicate the flowing wind…

She had just stepped away from the table and had moved to assist a nervous Eunhyuk before she jumped when she heard her name called outside the door. "Amber!"

The newest girl pouted visibly as her sister stepped in, thoroughly annoyed. Her pout vanished in an instant as she turned on her considerable charm and smiled sweetly, "Looks like you found me, Summer. I was just taking care of your guest," she assured her innocently, though the inflection was such that it sounded as if the eldest should have been doing this already.

Visibly, Summer seethed and she bristled, "Well then why don't you go entertain mother and father." Pointedly, she moved over to Amber, placing gentle but firm hands on her upper arms, and assisted her in heading towards the door.

"Oh, but I always do that," she whined unpleasantly, dragging her feet slightly, almost getting tripped up in the floor length hem of the pale purple gown.

"Out," Summer stated firmly as she pushed her younger sister out the door and closed it with a deep sigh behind her, a very confused expression on her face. "Sorry," she murmured in Eunhyuk's direction as the bewildered look lingered. "Please. Help yourself," she gestured as she saw his gaze switching between her and the tray on the table.

Carefully and with his focus still on the table, he got up and took slow, measured steps, feeling the way his body moved. "That was…odd," he finally stated as she came up next to him to offer support when it showed he was still feeling the effects of their ill fortune.

"You're telling me," she muttered. "Three. I have three siblings!" she grumbled, already exasperated by them and she had only been introduced to them this morning. Amber was the most insufferable of the bunch too… She had sort of figured having siblings would be like their group was at the monastery but if this was it, she was sorely mistaken.

"That's nice, I guess," Eunhyuk shrugged as he took a seat slowly with Summer helping to pull the chair out and uncover the tray. His eyes partially glazed over as he saw the spread of food before him. Far beyond the best that even the monastery had ever prepared, this looked almost too pretty to eat. Slivers of shaved meat were piled atop thick slices of fresh bread with a spread of various white and yellow cheeses; a sumptuous cream based soup steamed next to the plate and a smaller plate of some sort of finely sliced and colorful vegetables, sautéed and drizzled with butter completed the feast. Hastily, he shut his mouth as he felt himself salivating and grinned giddily, reminiscent of a little boy.

Summer laughed and took a seat next to him, thoroughly amused. When she had woken earlier this morning, he had been so peaceful sleeping she didn't want to disturb him so she had left quietly. Immediately, she had been introduced to her family and fed to a very similar meal of a more delicate nature with smaller tidbits of meat and cheeses.

Patiently, she waited for him to get a few bites down before she tried to say anything, watching the bliss cross his face at each new bite. He wasn't as good at eating with his left hand, but he certainly made do under the circumstances. Uncertainly, she glanced at the door and then picked up where she had left off. "I thought siblings would have been nice, but that one is nosy like you would not believe and the youngest is my brother and he pretty much ignores me," she added in annoyance, crossing her arms in front of her chest, clearly miffed by the fact.

Around a bite of food, he shrugged, "She seemed nice enough to me." A bit overwhelming really, but pleasant overall, though she did seem to have that switch she could flip with her facial expressions.

"Hah!" she laughed in dry amusement as she pointed a finger at him. "And that's exactly what they want you to think!" A sigh escaped her as she made herself relax and then placed her head and arms on the table. "I don't know what I was expecting…but I'm pretty sure this wasn't it."

Awkwardly, he put the spoon back down in the soup and raised a confused brow at Summer. "It can't be that bad," he stated simply. "At least you have a family that you know of." He had figured it would be a good thing for her to see them again, but given her reaction now, he wasn't so sure anymore. Invariably, his thoughts went to what meeting his own family would be like and he couldn't picture it.

Ignorant of his thoughts, Summer grumbled something under her breath and then raised her head to look at Eunhyuk. "I know… But it's weird," she went on. "I feel so awkward around them. And they put me in a dress!" she groaned, peering down at the nearly floor length light blue empire waist dress with silver filigree stitched into the hems. Her sister had been wearing a similar style with slightly more elaborate stitching.

Surprised, Eunhyuk took a long look up and down, unsure how he should feel or react. Summer was sitting so it wasn't perhaps the best view for it, but he had never seen one of the girls in a dress. The robes they'd worn in the monastery were so neutral it didn't matter, but this was very pretty, even if she didn't like it. He was just moderately embarrassed he had missed it initially when she had stepped in. "It looks nice though?" he complimented uncertainly before he focused on the food again.

His response made her pause for thought as she regarded the wind elementalist and then looked back down at the dress, feeling a little bit flush. She wondered what Kyuhyun would have said… As soon as she thought of him her heart fell and she wondered how soon help might be able to get to them. In the mad introductions and the busy hectic morning, she hadn't had time or energy to worry, but now, the thought did nothing to help her feel better about their situation. "Father sent a couple men out on horses this morning," she told him finally as she nibbled on her thumbnail distractedly.

Eunhyuk paused again and regarded her with intense eyes. "Do you think they'll be okay?" he asked quietly, the food seemingly forgotten, though mostly finished.

"I hope so," she murmured. "I mean, that farmer got us here in good time…we just slept for a while." When they had gotten the ride, she had hoped to be awake when they arrived but that had fallen through completely. It wasn't as if she had expected anything less, but she had hoped, despite being exhausted as they were, she could make it.

Satisfied for now, Eunhyuk nodded and pushed himself away from the table with his good hand, taking care to keep the other arm close to his person. "Well, let's go see what we can find out then." With no other distractions, he finally had a chance to appraise himself in turn and noticed that his clothes resembled that of a masculine dress…

Catching his expression, Summer couldn't help but giggle. "Yes, it does resemble a dress."

Eunhyuk looked at her in uncertainty. At least he did have a pair of very comfortable pants on underneath but the top piece resembled a robe or a dress with slits on either side that came up to the waist. "Odd…" he frowned, pulling at the loose fabric distractedly, not sure if he liked it or not. Right now, he would have preferred his regular pants and shirt…

"Father's wearing something like it too," Summer added with a confused twist to her mouth, not sure when that style had come in. From what she'd seen so far, her family was very big on appearances. "At least Sage gets to wear a shirt and pants still." At Eunhyuk's baffled expression, she rolled her eyes and nodded, "My brother. Mother came up with some weird names," she explained with an uncertain shake of her head.

"Oh…" was the best response Eunhyuk could come up with as he tried to understand.

"Come on then," she waved, grabbing his good arm lightly and pulling him up and after her. "Time to meet the family…"

Summer and Eunhyuk left the room together with the latter sticking close to the former. The manor was huge, if the guest rooms were anything to go by, and even though she had been through it already, it was still overwhelming. The hallway they walked into had five other doors in all, one with the symbol of water on it directly across from them. To their right was a smaller area leading to another door and what appeared to be two different bathing areas in the recessed sections of the antechamber. To their left were four additional doors, each bearing a different elemental symbol on the entrance. "Why do they have so many extra rooms?" Eunhyuk asked in awe, his eyes wide in his face.

"For show…I think," Summer answered, not entirely sure herself.

Moving at Eunhyuk's still somewhat stilted pace, they moved past the additional doors and rounded the corner into another shorter one that ended in a dead end to their left, but opened into a much larger area directly to their right. The room they stepped into was huge with several pieces of furniture and tables throughout. The rest of Summer's family was currently occupying several pieces and all looked at the pair expectantly when they came into sight. If they didn't know better, it would appear they were waiting for them…

Amber, two additional younger persons and two middle aged individuals were lounging carefully on couches and chairs throughout. Two extra women stood on either side of the room, unobtrusive and plainly dressed. As the pair approached, the middle aged woman stood up gracefully. She wore a more elaborate gown of a similar style as Summer's but hers was more extravagant, being of a dark blue coloration with more silver trim and delicate layers down the body of the gown. Her graying reddish hair was expertly pinned up and she wore silver ear bobbles, accented by a simple silver chain around her neck. "Summer dear," she started in a voice that seemed strangely moderated. "It's not polite to run off like that," she chided gently, a look of mild reproach on her face at the breach in etiquette.

Summer struggled to come up with a more polite response than she would have normally given. "Well, it was rude for Amber to intrude on Eunhyuk," she stated instead, glancing at her younger sister. Maybe it wasn't rude for them, but it certainly was in the monastery and in every inn they had stayed in on the way here.

"I was just trying to be polite," Amber defended herself with a practiced pout, her arms crossed delicately in front of her.

"Nosy is more like it," Autumn, the youngest daughter, murmured under her breath with a sidelong glance at her older sister. She favored their father with dark, straight hair, piercing brown eyes and features that were just a trifle too sharp to be delicate. Autumn would be best described as striking, whereas Amber was pretty and they both knew the difference.

The younger brother snorted where he was sitting in a plush armchair, clothed in an off white shirt, brown pants and lacking shoes entirely. He had mischievous blue eyes and his father's dark hair which was currently cut short at only about a finger length adorning his head. "She just thinks he's cute," he laughed, looking from Eunhyuk, who had flushed a rather bright red, to Amber who turned a rather frosty glare at him, which he ignored with practiced ease.

"Sage!" his mother exclaimed, at which he winced but did not retract his statement. She tsked in disapproval and then shook her head at her daughter. "Stop frowning, Amber. You'll get wrinkles." The comment surprised Summer whose open amazement was utterly lost on her family.

"Myung Hee…children," her father finally cut in as he stood to move beside his wife, the cream colored outfit in the same cut as Eunhyuk's complimenting hers. "That is no way to treat Summer and her guest," he chided them all with a shake of his head, sending the long, black queue swaying across his back. He stepped up in front of the pair and glanced at his daughter before prompting, "Aren't you going to introduce us, Summer?"

Partially baffled by the question, she frowned and looked at Eunhyuk. With a shrug as her mother gave her a disapproving look from her reaction, she went on, "Father, this is my friend Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk, this is my father, Sang Kyu," she gestured politely, eternally grateful she had remembered his name from this morning.

Reactively, Eunhyuk tried to use his right hand to reach out but the simple action made him wince as it was still sore and he grinned apologetically as he offered his left hand instead. "It is nice to meet you, sir," he bowed slightly.

"Eunhyuk," Sang Kyu nodded his head, gingerly accepting the proffered hand because it would have been rude not to. "Summer has assured us that you are a wind Elementalist."

"Yes sir," Eunhyuk responded with another bow. Self-consciously, he reached for the amulet that was just out of sight and breathed a small sigh of relief when he confirmed it was still on his person. "I am still new to the title, but we have not had much time to get used to them," he explained simply.

"And the other Elementalist were swept down the Angmer River?" Myung He asked as she approached the pair.

"I already told you that, mother," Summer interjected, disgruntled. She had given them the basics this morning when they had refused to leave her alone to eat in peace.

"Summer, I was asking Eunhyuk," her mother stated with a mildly raised brow.

While Summer fumed quietly, Eunhyuk looked between them perplexed. If she had already explained the situation, why would they need to hear it from him? "Yes, ma'am," he answered quietly. "If you don't mind, have either of you heard word back? Summer explained that men had been sent out earlier," he added, vaguely hopeful of a positive response.

Bemused, Sang Kyu chuckled, "It's much too early to hear back yet. We will let you know when we hear something," he directed to Summer this time.

In annoyance, she looked between her parents and then over at her siblings. No…they were nothing like what she had expected. "Any news from Lornhaldt?" she asked instead, fixing her gaze on her father. This was the first place they had been to that might actually have relatively new news about happenings in the capitol and what Enrhyll might be up to.

As soon as she asked it, he seemed considerably more nervous. "No," he forced a laugh and waved the question off. "If you're asking about master Enrhyll, he leaves us well enough alone." Myung Hee nodded in agreement and plastered a smile on her face.

Summer and Eunhyuk exchanged glances briefly. That was a strange response… Suspiciously, she asked, "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," Myung Hee assured her with a fake laugh. "It's just that he lives there and we live here. Out of each other's way," she added with a searching look at Sang Kyu.

Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Autumn shaking her head with a distracted expression on her face. Summer confirmed that Eunhyuk had seen it too and then abruptly pushed the thought aside. They would have to ask her later since she doubted very much that her parents would say anything more on the subject. There was definitely something they weren't telling her and she didn't know them well enough to get them to tell her otherwise. "Okay…" she finally stated with a long look between them.

"Enough of this talk," Sang Kyu urged with a forced air of lightness. "Soon Bok," he called over to the woman on the side of the room closest to him. "Would you get some tea for our guests?" he requested politely, though it was clear it was an order.

"Of course, master Sang Kyu," the demure young woman spoke, bowing deeply before excusing herself to the back of the room where there appeared to be at least two more rooms and two additional doors at the very back. She disappeared through the door at the back left and the brief peak inside showed it was a cooking area of some kind.

"Come," Myung Hee picked up where her husband had left off. "The monastery is a long ways from here. Please. We would like to hear how you arrived here," she gestured politely at the numerous open places to sit.

Uncertainly, Summer and Eunhyuk exchanged glances. The last thing they wanted to do was sit around and wait, retelling the events of how they got here, but there was little else for them to do until they heard word back from the men who had gone out riding. Reluctantly, they took a seat together on one of the shorter couches, their sides just maintaining a reassuring contact, and regarded her parents evenly. They almost didn't know where to begin. Fortunately, Soon Bok arrived with a tray of tea and snacks shortly after they sat down and over the mild flavored drink, they were able to tell their story as the family listened raptly to the tale.

* * *

><p>Kharin woke first in the dim morning light, feeling very enclosed and almost panicking at the surrounding walls around them. She reached over quickly to shake Leeteuk awake. "Teuk," she spoke firmly, needing very much to see the sky above them again and not the stone that currently entombed the pair.<p>

He groaned softly and came to life next to her, reaching up slowly where his hands brushed against the ceiling, the tips of his fingers trailing against the smooth stone. "Oh yeah…" he murmured, lowering his hands and opening the shelter with the same action.

A relieved breath escaped her as she sat up and took a deep breath, feeling much better for the open space. The area around them was completely clear and they had not been bothered at all in the night by anything worth worrying about. Insects they could do nothing about but a quick slap in the dark handled them easily enough. "I don't argue that was a good idea, but can we not do that again?" she looked over at her slowly sitting up companion, watching the muscles of his face contort periodically as he used stiff muscles.

"We'll see," he grimaced before a sigh of relief escaped instead upon sitting upright. "We might be able to split a watch now," he mused thoughtfully, still not inclined to only have them with half a night of sleep. They both needed the rest and while she was less injured, it would still take time for her to recover completely as well. Carefully, he reached over and retrieved the tied makeshift bag of food and set it between them. "Here," he offered, opening the sack and waiting for her to pick first.

In the day and with hunger not so prominent in their thoughts, the food did not look as appetizing as it had the night before. Somewhat burnt and still very bland, she reluctantly picked a piece and chewed it slowly, a pattern that changed to chew and swallow as fast as possible. "At least it's food," she admitted around a mouthful as she watched Leeteuk react in a similar way. He shrugged in response and ate methodically.

When they had both eaten enough to take the edge of hunger away, they wrapped the remainder up and carried it with them as they hobbled down to the river to quench their thirst and wash up before slowly heading down the road again. They paused once to look behind them, searching for a sign of something, but the way remained sadly empty. Determinedly, the pair continued their trek, watching with some annoyance as the sun moved above them but their own progress still continued to feel painfully slow.

Just after midmorning, Leeteuk paused, a curious expression on his face as he stared at the ground, pensive. "Teuk?" Kharin asked as she touched his shoulder gently in inquiry.

"I feel something…" his voice trailed off as he quirked his head to the side and started to lower himself to get a better idea of what it was.

While he did that, Kharin looked around and so was the first to notice the dust cloud rising up from down the path ahead of them. "What is that?" she asked as if to herself, the fingers of her hand trailing tentatively on Leeteuk's shoulder subconsciously as he sat slightly propped up beside her.

His eyes slightly out of focus as he placed a hand on the ground, Leeteuk responded, "It sounds like a group of people…horses I think."

With a knot of nervous tension growing in their bellies, the pair watched the dust cloud grow in size as they started to see figures on horseback within. Almost immediately, they noticed the pennants flapping wildly above the riders, poles attached to the saddles sturdily as they rode. Their eyes widened in alarm and the same thought ran through their head. Enrhyll.

"Run," Leeteuk stated, turning to the forest line awkwardly and moving as quickly as he could on both his crutches. He watched as Kharin started to outdistance him and then came back, clearly torn.

"Hurry," she urged needlessly, the fear and worry warring on her face as she kept looking over at the patrol.

In response, Leeteuk looked over at the approaching patrol as he hopped along on the crutches, his pace frustratingly slow. There was no way he was going to make the forest and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to outdistance them there… "Go!" he told her again, desperate that at least one of them get away. Abruptly, he turned to face the patrol, watching as they turned to follow their path. "I'll try to buy you time," he explained, already planning what he would do as he dropped one crutch, using the other to steady himself.

Kharin glared at him, angry at the thought. "Idiot," she spat, hitting him in the back of the head one good time with an open hand, completely ignoring the oncoming crowd for the time being.

Confused and upset, he flinched and looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing?" he demanded heatedly, his gaze switching rapidly between her and the patrol.

"Don't you dare try to force me to make that choice," she snarled, reaching out to grab his free arm over her shoulder, heedless of his discomfort and halfway dragging him already.

Leeteuk was both unreasonably angry and pleased with her reaction as he was forcibly dragged with her, the crutch awkward with her forced pace. He swallowed the words he wanted to say, terrified by the approaching patrol and the distance they still had to cover to the trees. As they moved, he reached out towards the horse mounted men, his gestures uncertain, and attempted to manipulate the earth. The ground between them and the patrol rippled and then the same motion spread out further in both directions, upsetting the horses as they closed within range but also throwing the pair off balance as the earth rolled and bucked under their feet as well.

"Stop it!" Kharin cried as she came to an abrupt halt, feeling his control waver on the shifting earth and her balance change alarmingly.

Shocked by the reaction, Leeteuk had ceased his attempts to hinder almost immediately but the earth had rippled for a few seconds after, reconfiguring itself of its own accord. "I did…" he muttered, only marginally glad that the patrol had seemed as upset by the reaction as they were.

They recovered remarkably quickly though and were on their way again much too soon. "Halt!" the man in the front called fiercely, his voice carrying effortlessly over the distance still between them.

"Come on!" Kharin growled, yanking on Leeteuk again as he seemed confused by the reaction. She attempted to blind them with darkness but her envisioned sphere was a fraction of the size she intended, landing squarely over the section in the middle and little else. "Really?" she muttered, glaring at the result bleakly as those within were briefly confused before riding out of it, save the one poor fool she had focused on who continued to ride uncertainly.

"Never mind," Leeteuk sighed, pulling up as they watched the first of the riders swing around wide on either side of them. His posture stiff, he positioned himself in front of Kharin slightly and watched the lead figure pull up directly across from him. They had all stopped well out of range, very aware of what the elementalists could do, even if their abilities were being a bit unpredictable at just the moment.

Jae-Yup really didn't want any of these fools getting carried away and hurting, or worse yet, killing one of the elementalists. Captain Kwan had made it very clear they were to be taken alive and relatively well, though he expected it was possible for some accidents to happen. "Elementalists!" he called out, recognizing some of the features that had been relayed to him; the woman in particular was easy to confirm with her height and the reddish hair. "His divine lord Enrhyll wishes the presence of your company at the capitol city of Lornhaldt," he explained simply, hoping that maybe if he just asked nicely…

Kharin snorted in a derogatory manner and Leeteuk looked dumbfounded. "You lie!" she growled, glaring at him angrily.

Jae-Yup's horse shifted uneasily under him and he frowned, heavy brows over hazel brown eyes furrowing intensely. "I do not," he assured them. "We were sent to retrieve you at his behest." His eyes narrowed as they continued to glare at him suspiciously. "You will accompany us, one way or the other," he assured them calmly, beginning to walk his horse forward, his weapon still sheathed.

A signal sent the rest of the circle tightening around them. Another signal told his marksmen to get ready as they fell back from the rest, preparing slings and retrieving ammo from the pouches they always carried at their waist. If the elementalists could be knocked unconscious, they wouldn't have to worry about any of this nonsense…

"What now?" Kharin asked nervously, debating how many she could take out before they got to them. She really didn't want to kill them and there was no shadow large enough nearby for them to hide in.

Leeteuk took a nervous breath, unsure how his power would answer if he tried it again. "It looks like we fight," he murmured, wishing that wasn't so. There was no way he was going to believe what this guard was saying. It couldn't be true… Everyone knew they were supposed to fight Enrhyll, right?

Kharin murmured an affirmative and abruptly threw a series of shadow blades at the nearest part of the circle. She blanched when several skewed off in odd directions while only two made contact; one severing a rider's head from his body and the other cutting halfway through a horse and its rider's leg. "Oh gods," she gasped, unsure why their control was lacking and her own haphazard effectiveness. Was it just because Summer wasn't here or was it something else?

The death scream of the horse as it careened to the side and into the next rider, throwing both men off, shook the others. Already nervous about attacking the elementalists, their control broke and the group rushed at the pair, fear in their eyes. "Ow!" Leeteuk hissed in surprise as a small stone pelted his neck, stinging smartly. He saw them then, the three lagging back, their arms raised above their heads and preparing to strike again. Immediately, he raised a barrier up to shield them from that direction.

"Give me a shadow, Teuk!" Kharin cried as she pressed them both close to the barrier he managed to put up, ignoring everything else.

It took him a moment to comprehend what she was telling him before he reached again, feeling the stone answer his call as he pulled the barrier up and above them to block out the sun effectively. "Kharin!" he gasped, seeing the horses and their riders drawing far too close.

"Hold on to me!" she demanded as she gripped him tight and pulled hard, feeling herself fall into the shadow on the ground around them as she planned.

"Huh?" Leeteuk yelled as he grabbed hold of her arms and she pulled him after her. He fell through the shadow too, feeling the dark substance slide over him like water as he went blind for a second and then tumbled painfully into a strange world indeed, his bad ankle jarring painfully. It did little to distract him from the fact he had landed directly on top of Kharin. Unsure how to react, he froze and tried to brace his body with his arms on either side of her.

"Get off me," she groaned, pushing at his shoulders gently but firmly, hoping neither of them was too badly injured. She refused to think about how they landed and simply pressed forward. Already, she already see a welt forming where he had been pelted by a rock on the neck and as he awkwardly rolled off, she could see the brace on his ankle had loosened up.

Leeteuk looked around, completely dumbfounded as everything seemed a shadow version of the world he knew. Instead of the ground being covered in light, shadow predominated and the spaces where shadows would have been were made of light, throwing everything into a weird sort of relief. "What is this place?" he asked, confounded. The terrain looked similar and yet entirely alien and he had no good way to describe the river on the other side of them which was represented by a moving mass of shadow and light that confused his eyes.

Kharin sat up, still eyeing the ankle as she didn't think he'd noticed yet. "The best way I can describe it, is a shadow world. Give me a shadow on our side and I can walk through to this place. Or fall, in our case," she grumbled, brushing herself off distractedly.

"By the gods," he whispered, still looking around. It took him a moment to realize that his crutch had essentially disintegrated in his hand and there were several moving bits of light on the ground around them. Both realizations alarmed him…

"The patrol," she muttered, seeing where his eyes were following. The shadows their bodies cast translated as light on the ground here and though there was no form to show it, the shadow was still there.

"They can't see us at all, can they?" he asked, placing his hand tentatively on the ground and then turning quizzical as he couldn't hear anything at all. "It's silent…" he whispered quietly.

"What is?" Kharin asked as she crawled over to his ankle and began fidgeting with it, making him jump in surprise, his concentration briefly broken.

"The earth. I can't hear anything from her." For just a second, he looked utterly lost. He hadn't realized how much of a connection he had with it until he couldn't feel it anymore. It was very disconcerting… Hastily, he got hold of himself and focused on Kharin who was pointedly not looking at him, fixing the brace.

"We won't be here that long," she told him assuredly, glancing up to watch the figures moving. They wouldn't stay that long and if they did, well they could just make their way to the forest where a large glaring expanse of white topped by darkness off to their left showed its presence.

He could tell she was still holding something back and he felt slightly guilty, figuring he had an idea of why she was upset with him. Finally, he gathered his courage, "I'm sorry."

"You should be," she muttered immediately and he knew he had guessed right.

The ankle stung as she pulled just a trifle too hard and he winced, but nodded. "I wasn't thinking like I should have been," he admitted. It had felt like a decent idea at the time, but not in hindsight; at least not with her mad at him like she was.

"No. You weren't," she stated bluntly, finally meeting his eyes. "Why would either of us being alone be a better choice?" she demanded. Her arm flashed out in an effort to expend nervous energy, as she gestured to the area around them. "Not to mention I wouldn't be able to forgive myself, much less ask it of the others for leaving you behind." More careful this time, she focused on and finished touching up the brace, straightening out the pieces of wood and smoothing the cloth needlessly. "Idiot," she murmured again, angry with herself as much as him. As much as she worried about not being able to forgive herself, she had been equally afraid to be left alone and she hated that admission…

Wincing at the stretch necessary to lean so far, Leeteuk reached out and grabbed her nearest hand still resting lightly on his ankle. "I'm sorry," he stated again, waiting until she met his gaze.

Green eyes met his chestnut brown ones and she finally nodded, her expression serious, "Okay."

"Okay," he nodded in return, holding her gaze for a moment more before he glanced down at the moving 'shadows' again and shuddered. "Can we get out of here now?" he asked quietly, still feeling slightly lost with the lack of his connection to the earth.

Kharin took a deep breath and glanced around too, perturbed that they hadn't wandered off yet. "Sure. Come on, Teuk," she sighed as she stood up and reached down to give him a hand. "No crutch?" she asked, perplexed as she just now noticed it was missing.

He shrugged helplessly. "I can't manipulate it here…"

"Hmm… Odd," was all she said as she carefully hauled him to his feet and took most of his weight over her right shoulder. "One step at a time it is then."

"Indeed," he agreed through clenched teeth as he focused on avoiding putting weight on the bad ankle.


	23. Chapter 23

Kyuhyun woke to the unpleasant sensation of his arm tingling from falling asleep and he groaned softly in reaction. When he opened his eyes, he saw the top of Eleanara's head resting on it and he grumbled some more, slowly prodding her awake with his free arm. "Nara," he mumbled, wincing when she flinched and sat up suddenly.

"Huh?" she started, looking around uncertainly and wondering why she was being woken up. Seeing nothing immediately nearby, she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands sleepily and blinked at Kyuhyun in confusion. As she watched him sitting up shaking his arm out, she cringed. "Oops. Thank you?" she asked instead, still glad he had allowed her to sleep next to him.

"No apology?" he asked irritably while feeling slowly returned to the numb limb.

"Sorry!" she responded immediately, bowing her head, to his annoyance.

He shook his head and sighed. "For sleeping?" he queried with a snide expression.

"What?" she asked in confusion as she looked back up at him.

"Ugh. You are hopeless," he groaned with a roll of his eyes. "Never mind. And stop saying you're sorry," he pointed at her with a serious expression on his face.

Completely lost, Eleanara chewed her lip nervously and slowly got up, not sure what she should be doing now. The sun was just over the horizon and the morning was very pretty, with the sun dancing on the surface of the churning water, but there was no one in sight. As Kyuhyun was getting to his feet, she continued to stare up and down the river, hoping to see something that would give her reason to believe they were going the right way.

Kyuhyun rolled the last of the needles out of his arm and stepped closer to her, following her gaze reflexively. Easily, he bent down to retrieve his waterskin and took a sip before nudging Eleanara to do the same. She jumped in surprise and then nodded, accepting the one he offered her. "Come on," he urged after a pause. "We've got a long way to go still."

Eleanara hurried to pick up the other waterskin too and murmured an agreement, frowning as her stomach grumbled plaintively. Berries did not last that long…

A little bit later in the morning, she got him to agree to walk beside the forest to see what they might be able to forage again. Their luck extended to a small bounty of berries only partially picked over by the fauna in the area. She tried them hesitantly while Kyuhyun watched in disapproval. None too far from the berries, they also discovered a trove of mushrooms, which he regarded skeptically. He did agree to help her carry at least those down to the water while they waited to see if she had any sort of reaction.

The berries were a bright red color with miniature rounded spines all over them but they did not hurt to eat and they weren't particularly tasty one way or the other. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not but at least they didn't make her feel ill. The mushrooms she was more questionable on as she had never eaten an orange colored one with the weird shape these had. The caps were flat and they curled upwards in a seemingly random pattern, completely asymmetrical in appearance. Her first taste was odd since it still had some dirt on it and she grimaced around the grit, but there was no negative effects early and it didn't taste bad…just bland. By the time they had washed them off at the water's edge, she was reasonably sure that neither would have any ill effects on them.

They split the bounty and ate next to the water, washing down the needed but not particularly appetizing food as necessary. Kyuhyun regarded her thoughtfully while they ate. "Did you study much about herbs and plants in the monastery?" he asked finally, recalling that he had found the subject incredibly boring. Outside of their lessons, he had much preferred to focus on his singing or playing the handful of board games they had with anyone he could convince to play with him.

Eleanara hurried to swallow the mushroom she had just put in her mouth and nodded while he waited impatiently. "Some," she finally stated, glancing back at the forest. "Master Marek used to tell me about the ingredients he was using when I helped in the kitchen," she shrugged, remembering the sound of his patient voice as he had explained the various ingredients and herbs.

Kyuhyun snorted, "He did that to me too."

"But did you pay attention?" she asked with a raised brow, recalling various occasions when he griped about having to help with meal preparation. He frowned at her mildly but had no response so he ate another mushroom and sighed. "That's what I figured," she laughed lightly as she shook her head. "I did a little extra reading in the library but nothing extensive." Quickly, she finished off the last of her share of the berries and stood up, brushing herself off as she did so. "Well. Let's get going."

Kyuhyun chuckled as he looked at her from his seated position but stood up soon enough, still working on the last two mushrooms. "Bossy aren't you?" he teased with a small smirk.

Eleanara flushed lightly and then glared at him briefly, the expression shifting to concern in a matter of seconds. "We're not getting any closer just standing here…"

"Heh. No we're not," he agreed, reaching out to ruffle her hair quickly as he started walking.

"Hey!" she objected, missing his hand when she batted at it and hurrying to catch up.

With a smirk, he looked back at her out of the corner of his eye. "And don't go lagging behind again."

"I'll be fine," she grumbled with another glare at his back before she let her eyes drift over the landscape while they returned to the road.

Kyuhyun shrugged and kept moving forward at his pace. He kept an ear out to make sure she was still nearby and glanced back a time or two, laughing to himself when she drifted off and then hurried to catch back up. At least she was keeping up overall.

The morning wore on into early afternoon and the only thing that had changed was the scenery and the location of the sun. As they were not expecting anyone, neither thought to check their back trail until the sound of running horses drew their attention. Lagging behind as usual, Eleanara heard it first and she glanced back in confusion which quickly turned to alarm. "Kyu!" she cried sharply, sprinting to catch up to him.

Startled by the alarm in her voice, Kyuhyun whirled around and saw Eleanara running towards him. Directly on the path behind them was a large force of mounted men with pennants bearing Enrhyll's symbol flapping above them. "Shit!" he cursed, stepping forward to grab her hand and then hauling her after him as he bolted towards the forest. They were fast but the mounted patrol was faster as they quickly found out as a few of the riders circled around to cut off their path.

"Stop!" one of them cried forcefully as the pair pulled up sharply. Kyuhyun scowled and threw a fireball at the nearest rider in their path. The projectile veered slightly off target but it hit the ground with enough force to cause a small explosion, pelting the horse and rider with shrapnel, forcing them to retreat. The empty space was immediately taken by another patrolman who eyed the fire elementalist warily, watchful of another attempt.

"Get out of my way!" Kyuhyun snarled as he started towards the forest again, throwing another fireball that flew with an unsteady trajectory and missed the rider, landing behind him and throwing up more shrapnel. "It's not working," he growled, pulling Eleanara close as he stopped again and eyed the patrol now encircling them.

"Why not?" Eleanara asked in panic as she stared at the looming riders who had left a wide berth around them. Her hand tightened in his reflexively and she hastily pulled up a large barrier around them, flinching when it wavered briefly. Carefully, she scaled it down and breathed a sigh of relief when that one held steady. She hoped it would work against physical bodies as well. She wasn't entirely certain as she had never had a reason to try to defend against anything other than attacks such as those from the constructs and arrows.

"Hold!" the one from earlier spoke again as he rode up slightly closer to the pair.

Kyuhyun and Eleanara regarded him warily. He seemed to be the leader of the group with slightly more elaborate armor and a presence about him that indicated leadership. "Stay back!" Kyuhyun growled, angry eyes focused on the other man.

"We don't want to hurt you," Captain Kwan explained calmly as he appraised the pair. The young man had already confirmed that he was the fire elementalist and it was likely the woman next to him was one as well.

"And I'm a fairy princess," Kyuhyun responded caustically, daggers in his eyes.

Kwan cleared his throat as he attempted not to laugh. "Lord Enrhyll has requested your presence at his palace. We are merely here to escort you," he assured them evenly. "Had we wanted you dead, we would have already attacked you."

Annoyed by the logic of that statement, Eleanara added, "We have nothing to say to him." She felt Kyuhyun squeeze her hand in agreement and her courage was bolstered slightly.

"Be that as it may," Kwan began, still eyeing them critically, "you are going to come with us." He appraised the situation tactically and figured that the woman was probably the light elementalist seeing that she had not attacked them like her companion had, but it appeared that she was concentrating on something. Testing, he gestured for the soldier behind him to draw his bow. An arrow sailed high, not aiming at the pair, but it pinged against something solid and careened off, easily diverted. It was as he suspected. She did have a barrier up around them. "You can't hold that forever," he stated simply, watching the nervousness play across her face.

"She won't have to!" Kyuhyun cried as he stepped forward and hurled a wall of flame at the captain.

Kwan's horse reared up in panic and tossed him off, which was probably the only thing that saved him as the fire roared to life and hungrily devoured the screaming creature. The fire was so hot that nothing remained save ashes and Kwan still felt as if he'd been sunburned by the heat while the ground nearby was blackened. He did not miss the grimace as the young man cradled his hand.

Eleanara heard Kyuhyun gasp and she glanced at his hand, noticing that it was blistered, burned by his own power. "Kyu," she murmured, struggling to divert her attention enough to heal him through the contact of their hand and still maintain the barrier. She felt the latter waiver just a bit but was able to sustain it while the flesh of his hand healed over.

"Something's different," he muttered through clenched teeth as he watched the captain get to his feet, a calculating expression on his face.

"I know," she admitted worriedly, trembling slightly.

Kwan easily held their attention as he watched a small portion of his men ride up quietly behind them. They were nervous and shaken and all he need do was disrupt the barrier around them. Easily, he loosed the dagger at his waist and eyed the young man, waiting.

The sound of hooves behind them drew their attention and Eleanara cried out in surprise when four riders made it within fifteen feet of them before the horses shied away, having bumped into the barrier. They were already retreating when Kyuhyun stepped towards them to throw another wall of flame at them, cursing animatedly when the flames flared up and out but only singed the tails of the fleeing creatures. "Dammit!" he gasped as he knelt down, cradling his hand again.

Eleanara pursed her lips as she divided her attention, feeling it waiver once more as she managed to heal him. Hooves on either side of them startled her again and they noticed two smaller groups approaching, set to veer off as before.

"Just leave us alone!" Kyuhyun cried, panic starting to fill his eyes. Desperately, he hurled a fireball at the one group, watching as it caught one of the riders before turning to fling more flames at the other group. Pain lanced up his whole arm as the shirt sleeve caught fire with the release of his second attack and he screamed. Panicked, he released Eleanara's hand to beat the flames out and stumbled away, disoriented.

"Kyu!" she screamed, feeling the loss of contact acutely and her focus broke as she hurried to attend to him.

Another foray at them continued past where the others had pulled off and Kwan knew the barrier had fallen. Easily, he removed the slender dagger and hurled it at the young man with practiced aim before the healer could get in the way.

Still reeling from the pain in his arm, Kyuhyun gasped in surprise as he felt a blade bury itself in his stomach. Distracted from the burn, he looked down as everything seemed to move in slow motion, peering at the hilt of the dagger in his belly in confusion. Time resumed as he fell backwards, fighting shock. Shadows of moving figures played across his face as he realized the horses were really close to them.

"No!" Eleanara shrieked as she threw herself down beside Kyuhyun, reaching for the dagger automatically. The blade came out easily and she placed her hands over the wound, her heart racing in her chest as the sound of hooves and armor clanking filled her ears. As she felt the worst of the wound close up, she looked up with terrified eyes, shrinking back from the men who loomed above her, some still on horses and a handful on foot. She felt a blade come to rest on her shoulder and she took a shaky breath as she saw the tip of the sword extend into her field of view when she turned her head. Another pointed down at Kyuhyun where he blinked up at it in confusion and then fear.

Kwan waited until he saw the young man's hand heal over and then reached down to haul the woman forcibly to her feet, removing the sword from her shoulder as he did so. Reactively, she struggled against his grip, flailing wildly as she tried to get back to her companion. "Stop that," he commanded tersely as he shook her once, jarring her forcefully into complacency.

"Nara!" Kyuhyun cried as he was hauled to his feet by two men, each of whom held an arm painfully. When he fought against them, a third man moved in and punched him in the gut, eliciting a sharp bite of pain where the muscles from the dagger wound were still tender. His knees buckled at the intense sensation and he sagged between the men holding him up, fighting the urge to retch.

"Bind him," Kwan commanded simply as he handed the scared young woman off to the soldier next to him. Quickly, he moved to one of the horses nearest him and he reached into the man's bag, searching for a measure of cloth. Satisfied with the one he found, he split it in two and handed one half to one of the soldier's attending the young man and took the other to blindfold the young woman. She flinched away from the cover but stood trembling, tension written in every part of her once bound with her hands behind her and blindfolded.

"Kyu?" Eleanara asked nervously, her helplessness threatening to overwhelm her.

"I'm here," Kyuhyun responded in a pained voice as he wrestled with the bindings, struggling to come to terms with his own situation.

It was enough to ground her. "Now that we've reached an understanding," she heard the captain speaking again, "it's time to be on our way."

Having lost his horse, Kwan took the nearest one at hand and placed the woman in front of him, determined to keep an eye on her. It was as much for her protection as his own peace of mind. He made sure the young man was seated similarly before he signaled for their group to get moving again. Enryhll had explained there were seven he was searching for and there was still a large expanse of river to cover. He could only hope that Jae-Yup was having similar success in locating the elementalists. He was however, pleased with the number of casualties and the control his men had shown. If nothing else, he would consider that and their results here to have been a great success.

* * *

><p>Siwon did not sleep well through the night. Exhaustion had driven him to sleep's embrace, but when that was no longer enough, his own nervous tension kept waking him up, fear lodged tightly in his chest. He was able to doze off and on for the remainder of the evening, knowing that the patrol and his companions were likely all staying put at that time, but as soon as dawn approached, he had to check on them. His relief at seeing them all well was tempered by the knowledge that a patrol was heading their way and he could do nothing to warn them.<p>

Eun Mi and Yong-Soo prepared breakfast quietly, some sort of porridge and a pot of tea, as they watched him carefully. To try and get his mind off of things, she suggested, "Why don't you join us at the table?"

"Huh?" Siwon murmured, dragging his eyes away from the open window to focus on her.

She gestured at the table where she had cleared space enough for all of them to eat. "Would you join us?"

Uncertainly, Siwon gripped the fabric of the blanket in his hands as he looked down at his sore, recovering body. He still felt achy and the exertion the other day had not helped, but it would be better than just sitting here. Lightly, he grunted an affirmative with a nod and watched a warm smile spread across her face as she moved closer to assist him. "Thank you," he nodded politely as she carefully helped him to stand, pausing as he took a moment to adjust to being upright.

"Of course," she assured him, her hands still supporting his back and right shoulder.

Walking on his own after a full day of bed rest was not exactly pleasant but he had to admit that it felt good to be up again. He took a series of very small steps that brought him to the chair at the table which was another challenge to slowly ease himself onto. His legs gave up at the latter end of sitting down and he landed abruptly with a confounded expression on his face at his body's betrayal. He hissed in disapproval as he rubbed his sore legs.

"It's going to take some time," Eun Mi chuckled as she pat his shoulder comfortingly, missing Yong-Soo's smile as he sat down across from Siwon and started dishing out the porridge.

Siwon shrugged and sighed, "That doesn't make it any easier to accept."

"No, but at least you are walking," she winked pleasantly as she poured him a mug of warm tea, steam rising gently from the pale liquid.

"She was convinced you wouldn't be yet," Yong-Soo chuckled, amused by the flush on his cousin's face and Siwon's surprise.

She gestured uncertainly for a moment before mumbling, "Every person heals at a different speed." From under her lashes, she looked at both of them and then focused on her food, adding a dash of coarse sugar from the small container next to the pot, to the dish before taking a tentative bite.

Siwon tried a bite without before he did the same, noting that Yong-Soo seemed to have no problem with the bland substance. Despite his best efforts, his eyes kept returning to the scrying bowl, a persistent sense of worry gnawing at him. Forcefully, he turned his thoughts elsewhere and glanced at the door in front of the fireplace. He still didn't know what to think about the shrine he had seen down there. "So…what does one do in the Order of the Elements?" he asked at length, his gaze still lingering on the hidden door.

The pair across from him blinked in surprise as they looked at each other and then back at Siwon. Eun Mi answered his question first, "We give thanks to the elements that make up our world and sustain us."

"In short, we pray to the elements so that balance will continue to be maintained," Yong-Soo added, glancing at the hidden door too.

"Would you care to see it again?" Eun Mi asked politely, taking a sip of tea as she pushed her empty bowl away.

"I would," Siwon nodded, finishing the rest of his tea in a hurried gulp and then looking between the two.

Yong-Soo grinned and shrugged as he stood up to go open the door. Eun Mi set her mug down and moved back over to assist Siwon in standing again. Slowly, the pair made their way to the stairs where Yong-Soo took over, his greater strength better at helping the tall elementalist down into the underground room. Eun Mi followed behind them, reaching out reflexively when Siwon's legs attempted to buckle at one point but her cousin was able to keep him standing. "Still a bit wobbly it would seem," Yong-Soo chuckled, to Siwon's consternation.

"I'm trying," the elementalist murmured before he was able to rest against the closest table, covered with herbs in various stages of preparation, much like the tables up top had been when he'd first seen them.

"It takes time," Eun Mi reiterated again with another soft laugh as she stepped around them to approach the shrine. Carefully, she removed one of the precious match sticks from the top right drawer of the desk and lit the two candles on either side of the table. The gentle light illuminated the fanlike presentation with a flickering luminescence.

Siwon recognized the layout instantly as the same configuration they had stood in at the monastery when they had been given their power. From left to right, it showed the symbols of light, earth, fire, water, wind and shadow segmented into six sections. In the middle of each symbol, however, was a small, empty circle. "Why is there a space there?" he asked, pointing to the empty spots curiously.

Eun Mi and Yong-Soo looked at each other and shrugged. "The symbols have been portrayed that way for as long as I can remember," Eun Mi explained, a vaguely curious expression on her face as well. "I asked mother about them one time, and the most she ever said about it was they had something to do with stones of power. I have no idea what she meant by it and she wouldn't say more really." Her frustration was evident.

Curiously, Siwon pulled out his symbol and looked at it closely. He had not noticed it before, but in the middle of the symbol was a small indentation similar to the hole in the symbol at the shrine. "Odd," he murmured as his fingers traced it lightly.

"Let me see," Eun Mi stated as she reached for the symbol automatically, plucking it delicately from his hands and moving close to see better as it was still around his neck.

Unsure how to react, Siwon raised his hands up and glanced at Yong-Soo who stifled a laugh with a cough into his hand. "Sure," Siwon said slowly as he watched her run her stained fingers over the symbol as he had, her face thoughtful.

Eun Mi looked up from the symbol and back at the shrine, glancing between the two several times before sighing. "It's the same positioning, but why?" Distractedly, she let the symbol fall back to Siwon's chest before tapping her lip with her index finger in thought, completely unaware that she was still standing immediately next to the elementalist, practically touching him.

Yong-Soo cleared his throat and drew both their gazes. "Strange indentation aside," he started, nodding back towards the shrine, "we burn a mixture of herbs when we pray. Now seems as good a time as any," he smiled, reaching into the small drawer on the left side of the desk to retrieve a small cloth bag and a shallow metallic dish. From the bag, he pulled a small bundle of tied herbs which he lit on fire with the candle nearest him before setting it into the dish and placing it in the middle of the desk. Carefully, he inhaled the scent of the herbs and stepped back, bowing deeply before the shrine, his hands placed together in prayer and his eyes closed.

Siwon watched with curiosity as Eun Mi moved next to her cousin to join in, repeating the same pattern he had just displayed. They didn't chant any incantations or murmur under their breath. It was a very solemn affair, actually, and he almost felt awkward about watching them. Uncertainly, he replaced the amulet inside his shirt and looked around, noting the various barrels and crates that lined the room. He had to laugh when he noticed his pack still resting in the corner where they had tossed it last night, the maul propped up against the wall instead of attached as it had been. Fortunately, their worship did not take long and they were helping him back up the stairs as the last of the herbs burned to ash.

"It's not very elaborate," Eun Mi explained, "but it's the meaning that counts."

"Undoubtedly," Siwon agreed with a nod. "Thank you for showing me," he partially bowed, as much as his body would allow him, before Yong-Soo helped him back onto the bed.

"You're quite welcome, Elementalist," Yong-Soo smiled with a respectful nod.

Back in bed, Siwon couldn't help but look at the scrying bowl again. Eun Mi noticed and smiled with a shrug. "Here," she offered, handing the bowl to him gingerly. "I've got some work I have to take care of downstairs. Let me know if anything changes?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Briefly surprised, Siwon grunted an affirmative and watched as she disappeared down below. Yong-Soo shrugged and shook his head before saluting the elementalist and heading for the door. Easily, he picked up the longbow and quiver of arrows resting beside the doorway and headed out. Left alone to his thoughts and with the scrying bowl, Siwon took a deep breath and stared at the surface of the water. They had been fine when he saw them this morning…

Quickly, he called their images to mind again, touching on Summer and Eunhyuk first to confirm that they were still safe. He couldn't help but smile as he managed to catch Eunhyuk eating and it looked as if he had been attended to. The clothes, now that they weren't covered by the blanket he'd been under, looked decidedly odd, but Summer's dress was quite nice. It suited her well. Relieved to see them, he changed his focus to Kharin and Leeteuk. They were moving again and looked well enough. The same could be said for Kyuhyun and Eleanara when he checked on them too, only they had managed to at least find something to eat. They didn't seem particularly thrilled about the food but he was glad to see they were doing okay.

Mildly relieved, he set the bowl aside and lay back on the bed as he took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds Eun Mi made as she fiddled with stuff below. The busy noise was soothing, reminiscent of the monastery and a time when things weren't quite so hectic. He hadn't even realized he had dozed off until he woke with a start when she came back up the stairs and set a small crate down on the table.

Alarmed, he sat up in surprise, wincing when his muscles complained about the unexpected action. "Huh?"

Eun Mi grinned apologetically, "Sorry. I was just getting it ready to put in the cart," she explained with a glance at the doorway.

Siwon waved his hand dismissively and sighed. "No. It's alright. I hadn't meant to fall asleep," he stated simply with a glance out the window. It didn't look as if much time had passed yet, but he reached for the bowl compulsively anyway. When he called up Kharin and Leeteuk, he froze as a gasp escaped him.

"Hm?" Eun Mi murmured as she noticed the change in him. "Siwon?" she asked softly, quietly stepping up next to him and peering down at the bowl of water. She couldn't see anything, but she hadn't expected to.

His hands tightened on the bowl reflexively as he saw the pair surrounded by a patrol; likely the one that had stopped here. The breath caught in his throat as they tried to fight. He flinched when something hit Leeteuk and then leaned closer as the earth elementalist pulled up a barrier. "What?" he gasped as he watched Kharin and Leeteuk fall through the ground and his vision in the water turned dark. "Huh?" he frowned, pulling the bowl close to his face and blinking several times. "They're gone…" he murmured in disbelief as an alarmed Eun Mi reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Siwon?" she asked again, very much concerned.

He turned a bewildered and very worried expression to look at her as he set the bowl back down in his lap. "The patrol," he whispered breathlessly, gesturing uselessly towards the open window and the direction they had headed.

"Oh no," Eun Mi murmured, beginning to infer what his concern was. "What happened?" she asked as she sat down carefully on the edge of the cot, her hip and upper leg pressing lightly against his legs under the cover.

"They…they were…the patrol," he breathed, having a hard time pulling his thoughts together.

"The patrol found them?" she prompted, trying to get him to meet her gaze.

He nodded forcefully and finally looked at her. "They were surrounded and then…then everything just went black," he explained in utter bafflement. "They disappeared," he gestured uselessly.

"All of them?" she asked, still not sure about the details.

Siwon paused in his motions and stared at the bowl again. "No," he stated shortly, focusing on Eleanara and Kyuhyun. He felt his heart slow down gradually as a modicum of relief returned. "No. Only two disappeared. The others are still okay," he murmured, reassuring himself as much as her.

Eun Mi breathed a small sigh of relief. His concern had her worried and though she didn't know the other elementalists at all, she was still glad to hear that they were otherwise alright. Having known Enrhyll all her life, she didn't really want them to fall into his hands. "Good," she smiled, resting one hand lightly over his as he cupped the water bowl.

He blinked several times and then felt a measure of tension flow out of his shoulders at the gentle contact. "I feel so helpless," he admitted softly, letting his shoulders slouch just a bit as he leaned forward slightly.

"Just keep moving forward," she whispered quietly into the resulting silence.

Tentatively, he met her gaze again and nodded. He didn't have any words to say, but it was sound advice, even if he didn't want to hear it just then. He was helpless now, yes, but he was not going to be for long. Nervously, he continued to hold the bowl close as he looked out the window. He knew he couldn't see anything but by the gods he hoped that they were okay.

Eun Mi slowly got up and left him to his thoughts. In this situation, she was just as helpless as him and the only thing she could do was go back to busy work. She put another kettle of tea on over the fire before heading back downstairs again, rubbing her temple slowly.

Siwon didn't even register that she'd left. He just kept staring out the window before he returned to watching the scrying bowl obsessively. He focused on Kyuhyun and Eleanara since he could still see them. Periodically, he would switch back over to see if there was any change in Kharin and Leeteuk but the water remained black and shadowed when he did so. He was only vaguely aware of Yong-Soo returning from his successful hunt and half-paid attention when Eun Mi filled him in on what he had missed.

The pair prepared the afternoon meal while he continued to stare raptly at the bowl of water and only when food was forcibly placed into his hands and the scrying bowl removed did he focus on something else. Recognizing the set to Eun Mi's mouth as she held the scrying bowl captive, Siwon bolted his food, understanding he was not going to get it back until he finished. Yong-Soo laughed nervously as his reaction, the sight amusing but the circumstances more dire than he would have preferred.

As early afternoon wore on and he continued to follow Eleanara and Kyuhyun, his greater fear came to pass. The patrol he had seen near Summer and Eunhyuk had caught up to the other pair. He hardly dared to blink as he watched the panic inducing scene play out, paling as Kyuhyun caught himself on fire and then feeling his gut clench reflexively when he was stabbed. Blankly, he stared at the water as he watched them being overcome. A shuddering breath escaped him as he let the image go, his hands lying limply on either side of the bowl. The image of them bound and blindfolded burned in his eyes and he clenched his jaw reactively as he felt angry, fearful tears pool on his lashes.

Beside him, Eun Mi moved closer to Yong-Soo as they both recognized his reaction did not bode well. "What has happened, Siwon?" she asked quietly, taking a hesitant step in his direction, her hands reaching for him tentatively before she pulled them back.

He felt cold despair settle on him as he finally gave voice to what he had seen. "They've been captured…"


	24. Chapter 24

Getting away from her parents after telling their story wasn't half as difficult as the pair expected. Once the tea was finished and cleared away, Sang-Kyu pleaded business he had to attend to and Myung Hee begged that she was tired just from hearing about their adventures. Neither Summer nor Eunhyuk were inclined to argue as her parents hastily departed, followed by Soon Bok as they retreated to their room. It was clear they did not want to discuss anything further regarding Summer and Eunhyuk's presence here.

Amber eyed them for a moment longer after her parents left. She couldn't quite hide the curl to her lip as she realized how uncouth her older sister was and the man who came with her was practically barbaric in comparison to those she usually associated with. When they noticed her scrutiny, she simply sniffed once and then headed for the doorway on the left before the kitchen area, clearly focused on something else.

While Summer and Eunhyuk were trying to think of some way to get Autumn on her own, the young woman regarded Sage with a practiced gaze and suggested, "Don't you have practice or lessons you need to attend to?"

"Autumn!" he retorted, disgruntled.

"You know Olren was looking for you earlier to work on your abysmal riding skills," she chided, a slightly superior air about her as she addressed her younger brother. At least she could ride without falling off, even if they did make her sit side saddle.

"What about you?" he demanded instead, annoyed.

Autumn covered a bored yawn with her hand politely and looked at him out of one speculative eye. "I have plans in the garden," she told him, perfectly sensible.

Sage made a face and grumbled some more as he stood up and made his way out the front door. The riding gear he could find in the stables and what he was wearing now was perfectly acceptable for getting ready to ride in. Olren would scold him for heading out without shoes, but that was about it as riding boots were among the many pieces of equipment in the stables.

Summer and Eunhyuk were alternately amused and concerned about Autumn's handling of her younger brother. They waited until the youngest departed and then jumped in surprise when the young woman addressed them directly, coming off as older than the fifteen years she really was. "I don't suppose you would care to see the gardens, would you?" she offered politely, every bit the genial hostess.

The pair exchanged looks and nodded slightly. "We would," Summer smiled, rising to her feet quickly and pausing to wait for a slightly slower Eunhyuk to follow suit. Sitting for a prolonged period of time had made them both stiff, but it showed most prominently in the wind elementalist.

"Thank you," he bowed politely towards Autumn, unsure how to act otherwise.

"This way, please," she stood up and curtsied before gracefully gesturing for them to follow her. Quietly, she led them back the way they had come from, down the hall with the guest rooms and through the door at the end which led to a smaller hallway off to their left. In an offhand manner, she noted that the door directly in front of them led to the training hall but their destination at the other end of the hall. Easily, they walked down the smooth, hardwood floor until they reached another set of doors. Autumn guided them through the door on their right.

It opened up into a vast and beautifully manicured garden, filled with all manner of flowering vines and plants. There was a very elaborate fountain in the middle of the enclosure, illuminated perfectly by the sun which filtered through the large glass dome above. The ceiling was full of such windows so that everywhere they looked, rays of light touched upon the menagerie of plant life beneath, neatly trimmed back from the various walkways threading across to either side.

While the pair was dumbstruck by the beauty of this place, Autumn confidently led them directly to the fountain where four benches were stationed around the stone structure. At the top of the cascading waterfall was the symbol of the Neutralizer, a mirror image to the one that Summer wore around her neck. "It's beautiful," she whispered breathlessly, feeling Eunhyuk pause at her side with a similar expression on his face.

"Yes it is," Autumn smiled, a genuine expression now and not the carefully maintained façade she had been wearing up until a moment ago. "Please. Have a seat," she gestured at the first bench before she settled herself at the furthest part, much more relaxed in this place where the sound of running water could help hide casual conversations.

Eunhyuk placed a guiding hand against Summer's elbow and maneuvered her to the bench where they both sat down together. "You changed," he remarked curiously as he looked at Autumn carefully. The mask had come down and it was easy enough for even him to see.

Autumn laughed lightly and nodded. "The first thing you learn about life at court is to never let them know anything is wrong." Her sigh was heartfelt as she lamented that necessity.

"Why?" Summer asked as she peered up at the symbol she wore. Duplicity was not something they had been overly exposed to in the monastery and the concept was strange to them.

Unsure how to explain it to one that had grown up entirely ignorant of court politics, Autumn struggled to come up with a fair analogy. "Imagine court as being the same world you faced on your way here, but filled with more traps," she suggested with a small shudder. "Amber is better at that game than I am," she admitted, looking around to make sure they were still alone. "You should see her at a ball." A vaguely envious expression crossed her face as she recalled her sister's skill in entertaining so many persons at once, usually handsome men.

Summer frowned and Eunhyuk looked uncertain. "So is court life why mother and father avoid the subject of Enrhyll?" the neutralizer asked carefully, her eyes narrowed as she politely ignored the semi-sappy expression her sister wore.

"Shhh," Autumn gestured frantically as she snapped to attention at the sound of that name. "I don't know all the details but we don't speak his name here if we can avoid it." The admission seemed to frustrate her as she wrestled with something in her thoughts.

"Why not?" Eunhyuk pressed as he leaned forward slightly. They had both noticed the tension that had appeared automatically when they had asked about the situation in Lornhaldt. Sang Kyu had definitely wanted to avoid it.

"I'm not sure. Things changed so much when he rose to power. We didn't go to court anymore and we avoided the capitol. I have not been back since he took over," she shook her head sadly, remembering the sights and events they had been able to participate in before this foul time. Intently, she counted the years and chirped in surprise. "We haven't really left the manor in two years now. I hadn't realized," she murmured, her eyes turning thoughtful.

"Did he threaten them?" Summer asked carefully, trying to pull the pieces together. The Silverbergs were a well-known family and they made no attempts to keep it secret that Sinrielle and the Neutralizers came from their line. If Enrhyll had felt even remotely threatened by the possibility of another Neutralizer coming from their line, he might well have had something to say about it.

"I think so," Autumn admitted after a pause. "Mother and father won't say it outright. They keep the masks on all the time, but I've heard mother crying sometimes; when she thinks no one can hear her." Uncertainly, she played with her hands in her lap, eyes glued to them so she wouldn't have to meet their gazes.

Eunhyuk frowned at the explanation and he took a deep breath. "Even so, they do nothing against him?" His displeasure was clear in his tone and Summer and Autumn both looked at him in surprise.

"They are trying to keep us safe," Autumn defended them immediately, her tone becoming upset at the unwelcome prod.

"Safe," Eunhyuk laughed bitterly as his eyes turned sad. Like them, he had wanted to keep his family safe too, but that had not worked out anything like he had thought it would. "If he did threaten your family, safety is an illusion he lets you cling to. You will never be safe from him until he's gone," the wind elementalist murmured fiercely, his good hand clenched tightly into a fist on his lap.

"But he's left us alone," she plaintively explained, even as the wheels turned swiftly in her head and her gaze turned pensive.

"Maybe he has left our family alone, but he's taken away your freedom all the same," Summer added slowly as she looked at Eunhyuk. She looked around at the garden with new eyes and shook her head. "Just because it is gilded and comfortable does not make it any less a cage."

Autumn felt tears prick her eyes and she stood up in front of them, distressed. "And what would you have us do? If we fight him, we will die," she argued heatedly.

The elementalist and the neutralizer regarded her calmly and then looked at each other, eyes lingering on the hurts they had already suffered and acknowledging the ones that were unseen as well. "And yet that is the risk we were expected to face when we inherited the power of the elements," Eunhyuk stated bluntly, his eyes meeting hers, steady and intense.

"Because you have the power to face him," Autumn muttered. "What do we have? Nothing!" she stated abruptly, turning her back on them as she struggled with her emotions.

With a heavy sigh, Summer stood up and turned to face the fountain as she spoke, her eyes locked on the symbol at the top as she gripped the amulet in her hand tightly. "No power…no freedom. Don't tell me you've lost your pride too."

"What?" Autumn sniffed as she scrubbed at her eyes hastily before she turned to look at her sister in confusion.

Summer released the amulet and reached out to Eunhyuk, smiling when he grabbed her hand as she hoped. "For generations, our families have maintained the pact to always have a descendent ready to pick up where the first Elementalists left off. That is a heavy responsibility, no?" she asked softly, looking at Eunhyuk who nodded in agreement.

"And what does that have to do with pride?" Autumn asked weakly, unsure what her sister was getting at.

"Everything," Summer and Eunhyuk said at the same time.

"Right now, I'm not proud to be a Silverberg," Summer stated simply, taking heart from Eunhyuk's quiet support. "And I dare say Sinrielle wouldn't be either."

"You might be surprised," Myung Hee spoke up as she approached from the left side of the garden, her voice filled with a variety of emotions just then. Behind her, Mi Cha followed demurely, hands clasped politely in front of her as she followed habitually. It had not been her intention to eavesdrop but they were difficult to miss.

"Mother!" the sisters exclaimed at once while Eunhyuk bowed awkwardly, embarrassed to be caught in such a debate.

Myung Hee stepped up to Summer as she watched her daughter with sad eyes. Both her daughters exuded nervousness and she couldn't blame them. It did not take her more than a moment to realize what Autumn might have been discussing with them and while she knew that Sang Kyu and herself had done the best they could to keep them in the dark, their children were neither stupid nor blind. "Summer," she murmured softly before she tentatively reached out to trace the hair back behind her ears and looked at her face in wonderment. Time had shaped the features of the little girl she remembered into a grown woman who had experienced more than she would ever know. Almost awkwardly, she trailed her hand down to her shoulder and then carefully enfolded the younger woman in her arms, pressing her close and simply allowing herself to feel the daughter she had given up so long ago.

Summer froze in her mother's embrace, confused by the reaction and the different woman she had just been presented with. "Mother?" she asked softly, feeling the muscles loosen slowly as her body responded to what she had never had growing up but always wanted. Tentatively, she let her free hand drift up to rest against her mother's back as she felt a further degree of tension uncoil inside her.

"Oh my little girl," she breathed, remembering the young woman as she had been years ago when they had taken her to the monastery so long ago. "I never imagined I would see you again," she whispered into the red hair softly, so that only Summer would hear. Finally, Myung Hee stepped back and looked at the neutralizer intently before she spoke in a low, restrained voice, "The Silverbergs have not lost their pride, but… Come," she beckoned as she released Summer and waited for them to follow. "There is something I think you should see."

Their curiosity piqued, the tantalizing mystery was too powerful to resist and as one, the trio followed in the wake of Myung Hee. She guided them back out the way she had come, Mi Cha quietly in tow, and led them into a similar hallway from the one on the other side of the garden. She opened the first door directly in front of them and escorted them into a large room with various stations in several degrees of completion.

It seemed to be predominantly a women's room with the standing loom, a needlework table and some smaller hand instruments favored by the ladies at court. There was also a standing easel with a blank canvas ready to be attended to and a large shelf of books along the farthest wall with several plush chairs and loveseats spaced around the room for lounging. There was another smaller room directly to their right as they stepped through and it was to that door she led them.

"This is the recreation room," she murmured in explanation before she reached the room that was her target. "And this room is solely for the Silverberg women," she whispered softly, meeting Summer's and Autumn's gazes intently. She regarded Eunhyuk briefly, his nervousness apparent as he looked at the three women but remained silent. "You will come too," she stated, nodding at Mi Cha to stand at attention at the door while she removed an ornate key from inside the wrist of her gown.

"Why are only women allowed here?" Summer asked, clearly mystified.

"Because Sinrielle requested it to be so." The lock slid open with a quiet snick and she pushed the door inward, well-oiled hinges leaving an eerie absence of sound. Inside, the room was poorly lit and Myung Hee stepped in with the ease of familiarity as she moved to the back and lit a match stick, using the small flame to light a series of covered candles around the room. "Come in," she beckoned as the light grew brighter and revealed more of the interior.

As the three filed in, the door was quietly closed behind them and they looked back nervously, feeling as if this was something forbidden. "What is this place?" Summer asked, glancing at her sister to see her reaction. It was clear Autumn had never been inside either by the open curiosity on her face.

Gently, she touched Autumn's and Summer's shoulders as she walked past them from where she had shut the door and moved to stand beside the desk there as she watched their reactions. "It is where we store the last vestiges of Sinrielle's personal items. Items she requested that were not to be discarded upon her passing."

The room itself was remarkably sparse, with only a handful of things worth noting. One set of shelves held the aged but still recognizable sash she had worn in her time that Summer and Eunhyuk had seen in her picture at the monastery. What appeared to be a swaddling cloth was neatly folded on another shelf nearby. A wedding gown, so fragile and delicate that it looked as if it might crumble at the slightest touch, was draped over a rack meant for fitting purposes. At the back of the room the desk had a handful of other items resting on top of it.

At first, they appeared to be fairly innocuous. A simple wedding band lay next to an aged and deteriorating journal that was centered on the surface of the desk. On the other side of the journal lay a delicate hair pin, elaborate and carefully etched with the symbols of the elements along the length of it. Two names were carved deeply into the top of the desk above the journal. Kang Dae and Jin Ae.

"Why did she want to keep such things?" Autumn asked as she stepped towards the hanging gown looking very much as if she wanted to touch the aged garment. Propriety kept her from doing so but it was clear she was entranced by the stunning piece.

"You'll have one too," Myung Hee laughed lightly as her eyes crinkled in amusement. Autumn flushed slightly and stepped back, focusing on her mother instead. The older woman sighed as she played over Summer's question in her head. She fidgeted with her hands briefly before resting her fingertips on the top of the desk near the journal. "Sinrielle was not born a Neutralizer."

"Oh!" Eunhyuk started as he remembered something. "She was in an order that worshipped the elements. Right?" he asked excitedly.

Summer rolled her eyes but smiled when Myung Hee looked equally amused. "Yes. She was a priestess in the Order of the Elements. Not only that, but she was also married once." Blank surprise washed over their faces at the astonishing news. "Kang Dae," and she pointed to the first name on the desk, "was only a low level priest in their order. His family was not of any noble birth and he had no power beyond the order."

"But if she was married, why didn't we know of him?" Autumn asked, having grown up with the heritage of the Silverbergs around her and yet she knew nothing about this man.

Politics… Myung Hee kept the thought to herself though and ran her fingers over the names lightly. "With the honor of becoming the Neutralizer, her status, and that of her family, changed. Kang Dae was no longer worthy of being her husband, according to her father, and so he had their marriage annulled."

"That's terrible," Summer murmured, aghast. Hesitantly, she moved to stand beside her mother and reached down to touch the names, almost apologetically.

"She was married to another noble and this has been our home ever since," Myung Hee sighed. As one who was familiar with the words within, she traced the outline of the journal with a delicate finger and murmured, "This is the journal of her life, shortly before she became the Neutralizer to where she simply stopped keeping track…"

Eunhyuk moved closer to look at it over Summer's shoulder. "So does that mean she speaks of the Elementalists too?" They had vague memories they had been given by the respective spirit that had imbued their power to the related vessel, but they were hard to recall and make out clearly.

Myung Hee nodded, smiling fondly at some of the easier to read segments she had gone over. The words were faded and some of the pages had started to fall apart, but most of it was still legible, if time consuming to decipher. "They were an interesting group," she recalled, a playful smile pulling at her lips as they reminded her vaguely of her children growing up.

"Does she explain how they were given their power?" Summer inquired as she nudged the wedding band with her finger, her eyes drifting to the hair pin on the other side of the journal thoughtfully.

"Actually. I think she does make a mention of that." Gingerly, she opened the top cover of the book and thumbed through the pages as she skimmed the words, sparking memory for the parts she didn't recall as well. "Perhaps her story might be able to help you in these dark times. Please," she turned back to gesture at them to find a place to listen or rest as was their wont. Carefully, she pulled the chair back and slid into the wooden frame, her gaze intent on the journal as she organized her thoughts. She listened to them settle behind her before she tried to begin. Intently, the trio sat on the floor and waited with baited breath for the words to begin.

Slowly at first, as Myung Hee had to recall what she had read when she as much younger, she pulled together the life of Sinrielle as she lived in the Order of the Elements. It was fulfilling and she even found love with Kang Dae. Because of their positions in the order, they were allowed to marry and she gave him a daughter, Jin Ae. It was not more than two years after that when she was summoned, in a dream from the gods, to a place unfamiliar to her. Such a vision was not lightly dismissed and so she was divinely guided to what is now known as Moorhall at the foot of the northern mountain range. There she waited for another sign, which came in the presence of six individuals who were as mystified by their summoning as she was.

The first to arrive was Sungmin, an herbalist and self-titled healer of the small village of Hawdale in the westernmost part of the continent. Young and cheerful, he had a sweet face, expressive brown eyes and dark blond hair that didn't quite want to stay flat. On that same day, a stocky shepherd by the name of Shindong made his way into the village from the hills near Denmer Lake. He had forgone the shepherd's crook in lieu of more travel worthy gear but he had an infectious smile and could make you laugh, no matter your mood. He was recognizable by perpetually mussed looking hair he was habitually brushing out of his smiling coffee colored eyes.

The second day, a beautiful man arrived by the name of Heechul. Most stunning perhaps was his porcelain skin and flowing auburn locks, artfully pulled back out of his face with deceptively mild eyes and a smirk that would stay with you for days. One would not have thought that he was a blacksmith by any means, but he could produce some of the most delicate and stunning pieces of work I had ever seen and sold them most successfully under his father's mercantile business based south of Mount Balaron in the village of Almspring. Donghae, on the other hand, who wandered in later that day, was vastly different with an impish smile, liquid pools of dark chocolate eyes and shorter, wind-blown dark brown hair. We found that he was a fisherman who had traveled from the ocean village of Wellnor in the southern part of the continent.

Our third day of waiting brought us Ryeowook, a nimble sailor hailing from the port city of Nanton, and Yesung, a self-proclaimed merchant of information from Lornhaldt. The former seemed better suited to life at court than among the rough waters and gusty winds of a ship. Sharp, slightly feminine features dominated his face, but he had a pair of uniquely perceptive eyes and black hair that settled neatly above his eyebrows and ears. The latter was infinitely harder to read but at first glance, he appeared quite enigmatic with an easy smile, observant eyes and a thick head of equally black hair that he somehow managed to keep under control.

We came to learn that all of us had been called by the same dream I had followed, to the Seat of the Gods. It was a place only the most devoted followers tended to travel to and here we had found ourselves climbing up the mountain with a small party of villagers to help guide the way. Myung Hee paused to summarize, "Sinrielle details the trip up the mountain but seeing as you've been there, I think we can move forward." She nodded briefly to the pair she referenced and continued on.

The Seat of the Gods was a place of great power, settled in a valley free of the constant snow and wind. In that place, one could feel the presence of the gods by merit of simply being there. As we did not know what we were supposed to do, we spent the night and were called during our rest to awaken. In the middle of the valley, six seals rose from the ground, each bearing the symbol of an element. A seventh seal rose in the center, the combination of all six. As if in a dream, we were called to each seal in turn, upon which rested an amulet with a small, glowing stone attached in the middle of each elemental symbol, save mine.

We donned our amulets as the gods bade us and felt the power infuse our bodies, not from the amulet itself, but from the glowing stone attached to it. Thus, we came into our power and our journey together began.

"In the days following their rise to power, Sinrielle was very excited about this change. The young men, all unmarried and full of life and the desire for adventure, kept her entertained and as their exploits grew, so did their friendship. She recognized that each had been chosen from a profession that had a great deal of exposure to the element that had been bestowed upon them so Heechul had great respect and knowledge of the fires he wielded; Donghae's ability to read the waters he used to fish in extended to the very moisture in the air as well, becoming their weather predictor. Sensitive to the earth, Shindong could tell them of encroaching guests or enemies while Ryeowook could hear whispers on the wind. Yesung was never afraid of the total darkness the shadows could provide and Sungmin was always quick to light the way in their darkest times. And Sinrielle, having grown up with the knowledge of the elements all her life, could calm their fury."

Myung Hee traced the pages almost reverently as she paused and glanced back, seeing the mixed emotions on their faces. Eunhyuk and Summer understood most of what she was talking about as they had seen it and experienced it themselves. "So did she not go back to see her family?" Summer asked, confused. They knew the stories of how the Elementalists had tamed the surrounding lands and helped to craft such things as the earliest bridges and fortifications in some of the smaller villages.

"Now that is a good question," Myung Hee murmured as she regarded the book again. "Sinrielle did try many times to return home, but the Elementalists found that when she was not with them, their control over the power they wielded became unpredictable." Summer and Eunhyuk looked at each other worriedly. "After Heechul nearly destroyed himself and Shindong almost dropped them all into the earth, Sinrielle found she could not take the chance they would die because of her absence."

Summer found Eunhyuk's hand beside her and gripped it tightly. Kyuhyun had almost destroyed himself when she was _present_… She swallowed her worry and took a deep breath, "So she gave up on them?"

While Myung Hee didn't quite snort, being too polite to do so, it was clear the question amused her. "No, dear. The Elementalists would go with her to see her family in the early years. They knew Kang Dae and Jin Ae and would often make excuses to go see them before they became too well known. Heechul actually crafted the hair pin as Kang Dae requested to give to Sinrielle."

"So when did she become unhappy?" Autumn asked, as she fixed her mother with her gaze.

The older woman shook her head lightly. "She gets very vague about that part. I know she didn't get to watch Jin Ae grow up past her sixth year. Sinrielle was young when she got married the first time, barely sixteen, and had her daughter the same year. She did write of missing Jin Ae on her twenty third birth year." Carefully, she closed the book and turned back to look at the trio. "The names of her father and the man she married she left out of her journal. Her writing changes though, after that point. It's shorter and there is not as much warmth anymore."

A brief pause settled over the small group as they absorbed what they had been told until Eunhyuk, who had been fiddling with his amulet, glanced down thoughtfully. "Excuse me, but did she mention what happened to the amulets?" he asked, eyeing a small indented spot with intense interest. Sinrielle had written that the amulets had a glowing stone attached but his didn't have one.

"Ah, yes," Myung Hee gestured a confirmation as she combed her memory for that entry. It had been near the very end of the journal. "It had to have been years later, but she explained that eventually, the Elementalists did not need the amulets for their power anymore. It had become a part of them and so they had the Northsage Monastery built in the Seat of the Gods and stored the amulets there for safe keeping. One of her final entries tells of how she had taken the seemingly lifeless stones of power from the amulets and as a final parting gift, bestowed them to Kang Dae and the Order of the Elements."

"Well that explains why there's an indent here," Eunhyuk pointed out, showing Summer first and then letting both Autumn and Myung Hee take a look.

Summer looked at hers with interest before she shrugged. The Neutralizers in her family had been born with that ability and did not gain it from a stone of power or a spiritual transference. A deep sigh escaped her as she finally came to a disheartening conclusion. "So Sinrielle actually resented the Silverbergs."

"Some," Myung Hee agreed reluctantly. "There are simply times when we must do things we would rather not." While she did not admit it, she implied she was not happy with the current situation either.

A quiet knock on the door briefly startled the group as they had forgotten they were not completely alone. "Milady?" Mi Cha asked softly through the door.

Myung Hee stood up and carefully made her way to the door, pointedly not opening it yet. "Yes, Mi Cha?"

"Master Sang Kyu requests your company in the study, milady," she answered promptly.

"Of course," the Silverberg woman responded with a sigh. "Kindly let him know that I shall be right there," she smiled and nodded when she heard the response. Likely, he had sent Soon Bok to retrieve her and the young lady would relay the message for her. "Forgive me, children," she turned and curtsied politely to the trio. "I must ask that you leave as well."

Patiently, she waited for the group to stand before cautiously opening the door and making sure the way was clear before gesturing for the three to head out, locking it behind them and then hiding the key again. "Thank you, mother," Summer bowed slightly, uncertainty shifting across her face.

Uncertainly, Myung Hee reached out as if to place her hand against her daughter's cheek but stopped halfway there and let her hands come to rest in front of her. "We shall talk more later." She nodded in acknowledgement to Eunhyuk and then suggested to Summer, "And take care of your friend here." Amazingly, they watched as the mask slid back into place again as she focused on Autumn. "Come on, young lady. Your room is in shambles," she tsked in amusement as she looped her hand through her other daughter's arm and guided her out of the room with Mi Cha following along quietly behind.

"But mother…" Autumn started to say before a single look from Myung Hee halted the words.

Summer and Eunhyuk exchanged glances uncertainly. She had certainly not expected anything like this and she doubted very much that he had known what to expect either. "So my family history is a lie," she murmured softly, a mixture of disappointment and sadness.

Seeing how the thought distressed Summer, Eunhyuk wasn't sure how to respond. In an attempt at levity, he sent a tendril of wind to blow her hair back and out of her face, prompting an instant grin. "Better," he nodded with a smile. "And no, it's not a lie," he told her firmly. "It's just not as perfect as you were lead to believe." Reassuringly, he placed his good hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

Summer smiled again and stepped closer to hug him lightly, mindful of his injuries. "Thank you, Hyuk."

Surprised at first, Eunhyuk just glanced at her, seeing she was nearly as tall as him, but then he wrapped his arms around her in turn and breathed, "You're welcome."


	25. Chapter 25

Kharin and Leeteuk remained in the shadow realm for longer than either of them wanted to, but the patrol lingered, determined to find where the pair had disappeared to. Without the aid of his crutch, their pace was even more slow than usual, and making the tree line was an adventure in itself. Kharin was not well enough to carry him, as one failed attempt showed them and they were lucky enough he didn't re-break his ankle in the subsequent fall that left them both paralyzed with pain for a moment.

"You're heavier than you look," Kharin muttered as she picked herself up cautiously, testing still sore limbs and favoring her left side.

Seeing as there wasn't much he could say to that, Leeteuk remained silent and awkwardly pushed himself to his feet, grateful his good leg did not buckle on him. "At least we're almost there," he gestured instead, watching a blob of white travel over the ground under him, heading the same direction they were. The patrol was persistent, if nothing else and they were currently scouring the tree line and making brief forays into it. There really was no other place for them to have disappeared to, even if they couldn't explain it.

Kharin watched the lights for a moment more before nodding. "Yeah. At least there is that. Come on," she urged again, taking her place beside him and helping him along again. She shuddered to think of the pressure on his ankle for even the brief period he had to set his weight on it to step forward. Grudgingly, she had to give him credit there.

Eventually, they made the tree line, a strange mixture of light and shadow that confused the eyes. Solid pillars of white rose where the trees would be and despite the strangeness, Leeteuk rested against the first one they came to gratefully, his face whiter and the expression more pinched than usual. Unfortunately, they also noticed that while they had made it to the shadows of the forest, they could no longer tell where the patrolmen were who had gone inside the woods either.

Kharin frowned in thought and nodded to herself. "Wait here, Teuk. I'll be right back," she promised as she threaded through the trees further in.

"Be careful, Kharin!" he stated unnecessarily, leaning around to watch her as long as he could. It was an entirely eerie sensation to watch her fall through the ground again and disappear before his eyes. He couldn't quite contain his gasp, even though he was expecting something like it. Tensely, he watched the edge of the forest for any additional shadows and out near the road, he could still see the majority of the force drifting around. It was quite strange how the only sound present was him breathing and the pounding of his heartbeat as he counted the seconds she was gone.

Abruptly, he heard footsteps behind the tree and when he glanced around again he was relieved to see Kharin again. "I think they're starting to disperse," she explained with relief as she watched the blurs move away from them raggedly.

"We should probably move down from here and then try to go back," Leeteuk suggested, uncomfortable with being here but more so with the idea of being found so close to where they had just escaped.

Kharin sighed but nodded. "Fair enough."

In a series of short trips, they moved from tree to tree where he could use the trunks as additional props when they walked. When looking back showed no additional movements on the shadow world floor, Kharin tentatively jumped through again, reappearing a moment later to pull a very relieved Leeteuk with her. As before, he endured the sensation of being pulled through water and emerged completely dry.

"Thank the gods," he grinned, giddy with relief as he pulled up two new crutches and felt himself relax slightly with his reestablished connection with the earth.

"That makes two of us," she laughed lightly as she stuck her tongue at him, pretending insult.

He laughed and bowed gratefully to her. "Thank you, Kharin. I would probably be in dire straits without your help."

She snorted in agreement and shook her head, making him flush lightly in embarrassment. "We all need help sometimes," she stated with a firm hand on his shoulder, echoing Siwon's words from the night they had huddled together in the rainstorm. They had made a decision and had chosen to move forward for each other. His heart was in the right place but he had some peculiar blind spots too.

Leeteuk nodded in agreement, chagrined but happier for the memories the words stirred up. Curiously, he glanced up to check the sun. "Plenty of light left. Let's get moving," he encouraged, already starting to move forward determinedly.

Kharin followed along and caught up to him easily, keeping pace beside him as she had been doing since they had gotten separated from the others. She hoped fiercely that they would be able to find some sort of respite soon. Corley Port was still so far away and if another patrol came, their only course of action would be to hide again. She pushed the thought away for now. They would address it when they came to it.

The afternoon wore on steadily and while they were loath to leave the protection the forest offered, they both had to have water at some point. Feeling very much like skittish prey, the pair shuffled to the river, a position that was altogether too out in the open for their tastes. Nervously, they kept watch for each other and hurried back as fast as possible, relieved to be near the shadow again. Leeteuk never imagined he would appreciate the dark so much as he did this day. Fortunately, the way remained clear and he had no sense of anyone approaching from either direction. For now, that was enough for both of them.

By the time it got dark, they were more than ready to settle down for the night. Leeteuk still had some of the meat leftover, a bit abused for their adventure earlier, but edible, if nothing else. Wary of the patrol they had narrowly escaped, they did not try to start a fire this time and with the reaction he had earlier with his power, Leeteuk was loathe to try and make another shelter. Kharin suggested watches again and reluctantly, he agreed. It was not ideal by any means but it would work for now, though it meant for less sleep for both of them and less time to heal.

Evening without the small comfort of additional light or even the stifling shelter made them both nervous as they could hear what their eyes could not see. The shadows hid all manner of rustling sounds and it made for a very jumpy watch for both parties. Gladly, Kharin woke Leeteuk about halfway through the night and switched off, passing out on the hard ground without much trouble. The earth elementalist spent a fair bit of his time listening to the ground during his shift but he was not overly distracted and was privy to the sunrise. It was a breathtaking sight, the rays dancing on the surface of the river and bathing the world in gold for those few moments it took to ease above the horizon.

He watched it for a few more moments, letting the warmth sink in, before he reluctantly woke Kharin. They had finished the meat and were out of food again, but they had some time before they would have to find something else. Cautiously, they visited the river again and then moved downstream again, following the forest as they headed for the port city.

* * *

><p>Eleanara did not think she'd ever been so afraid in her life. She couldn't see, couldn't move about and she had no idea where Kyuhyun was at any given time other than somewhere in the mass of moving creatures and men. The feel of cold armor against her back and hands was nerve wracking and the moving horse beneath her was downright scary as she had never been on one before and her balance felt off with every fast step the creature took. She knew they weren't running all out, but it was definitely not a walking pace. The Captain's arms on either side of her as he held the reins didn't help any either as she bumped against his armored limbs at odd intervals when the motion of the horse caused her to slide.<p>

She was intensely startled when he spoke to her over her shoulder and near her ear, uncomfortably close to her. "Nara?" he asked softly, his voice calm and collected as he steadied her by force of habit, recalling the name the young man had called her when they had first seen them. Her entire body tensed and he sighed behind her. "I didn't want to hurt him," he explained softly. "But you both left me no choice." Stubbornly, she maintained her silence, her head tilted slightly to catch his words better. "I have every intention of bringing you both to Lord Enrhyll safely," he explained further, seemingly unconcerned by that strange request.

The Captain sighed again, feeling more like a babysitter to the young woman. Since her capture, she had offered little resistance save a stubborn silence. Her companion on the other hand… He glanced back at the young man and saw that he was still being more of a handful. A couple times now he had kicked the horse he was riding on, nearly throwing both riders to the ground and slowing the general procession as the rest waited for them to settle down. At the first pause, he had been transferred to another, more experienced rider with mixed success. "I am Captain Kwan," he told her at last. "Let me know if you need anything."

Eleanara filed the name away for later and ignored him otherwise. She strained to hear something of Kyuhyun but the constant sound of clopping hooves, shifting armor and the general noise of many living bodies hid him well. Reflexively, she worked her wrists, wincing when the rough ropes bit into the tender skin. Without thought, she healed the scrapes as soon as they formed and continued worrying them, mostly oblivious to the harm she was inflicting on herself.

While he was as blind and afraid as his companion, Kyuhyun hid his fear by being more caustic and annoying than usual. His brief attempts at trying to spook the horse had scared him nearly as much as the creature and he didn't think he'd be doing that again anytime too soon. The feeling of nearly falling was terrifying when one couldn't see, especially when he could feel how fast they were moving by the wind blowing past him. Aggravatingly, it only served to remind him of Eunhyuk and how the elementalist had loved to annoy him with the wind. "So when are we going to stop you useless piece of scrap metal?" he demanded irritably over his shoulder.

"When we stop," came the infuriating reply.

He could get no further reaction from the rider behind him and so was forced to endure the uncomfortable pace they set. Already, he was starting to feel the effects of riding and he was sure he wasn't going to like it later…

Twice more they stopped along the way, keeping the pair carefully separated, but they were at least given water to drink though the blindfolds never came off. Spitefully, Kyuhyun spat the first mouthful back on the person who was taking care of him. He heard the unfamiliar voice mutter under his breath before he felt a hand grab his hair and yank hard. Kyuhyun grimaced as a pained groan escaped him.

Captain Kwan pulled Kyu close so that he wouldn't have to raise his voice, "I understand you're upset, but this behavior will not do."

"If you think I'm going to make this easy for you, you're crazy," Kyuhyun retorted with a pained laugh. He heard the captain sigh.

"Keep making trouble like you are and she'll suffer for it too," he warned calmly. He did not want to hurt the young lady, but if it helped make this one more manageable, then it might well be worth it.

Kyuhyun froze as he thought about the warning seriously. He angled his head to relieve the tension on his hair and hissed, "You wouldn't."

"Foolish," Kwan murmured regretfully. A moment later, Eleanara shrieked as an ungloved backhand caught her across the face. Unprepared for the strike, she stumbled to the ground heavily, briefly unable to get back to her feet without the use of her hands.

"Bastard!" Kyuhyun growled as he kicked out blindly, howling in pain when the hand still grabbing his hair pulled harder and yanked him off his feet. He landed on his back, bound hands pressing painfully into his spine.

Now Kwan knelt next to the foolish young man. "Her safety for your good behavior. Do we have an understanding?"

Kyuhyun clenched his teeth hard as he fought the immediate impulse to lash out at him again. Finally, he managed to swallow the hasty words and nodded slightly, the barest concession, but it was enough. Kwan released his hair and allowed two other men to haul him to his feet roughly.

"Mount up!" Captain Kwan called as he approached the now standing Nara and his horse. He winced when she flinched at his touch but hefted her up and settled himself into the saddle behind her. A glance back showed that Kyu was being moderately more cooperative. He still had that stubborn resistance but it wasn't so overt anymore.

Easily, the party moved on down the path as the sun continued to turn across the sky. The ground eating canter brought them into contact with the other patrol by day's end where they concluded they were about halfway down the Angmer in either direction. The two groups settled down for the evening together, taking up the majority of the space between the road and the forest. Various tents were set up and the horses were picketed nearby. Eleanara and Kyuhyun were escorted together to some sort of enclosure. They figured it had to be the Captain's tent when Kwan's voice was joined by another man's and they started talking about their journey up to this point.

Eleanara and Kyuhyun were seated together on what felt like a cot within easy hearing distance of the two men. While they were certain they had not left his sight yet, the pair were uncommonly glad to realize they were finally side by side, close enough that their arms and legs brushed against each other. The relief they felt at knowing the other was right there was almost tangible, a feeling so strong it made Eleanara want to cry. Uncomfortable with trying to speak just yet, they soaked in each other's presence and the light elementalist laid her head against his shoulder, needing just that bit more contact with someone she knew and actually cared about.

In silence, they listened to Kwan and who they figured was the leader of the other patrol, and gleaned what they could. They understood that Kwan was a high ranking captain and the new man was Jae-Yup, a sergeant under his command. It was also revealed that he had come across the shadow and earth elementalists but they had eluded capture. Heartened by that small bit of good news, it did nothing to alleviate their concern of the other three who were still missing. Kwan did confirm that he would be continuing around the way the other patrol had come from and would keep an eye out for the escaped pair. Jae-Yup agreed that he would finish his circuit in the opposite direction as planned.

Food was brought in later in the evening, the aroma teasing the pair who were only reminded that they had not had food since earlier that morning. While they maintained their silence, their stomachs more than made up for it, to Kwan's amusement as a low chuckle reached their ears. Eleanara's flush was from embarrassment but Kyuhyun's was entirely from aggravation. "You think this is funny?" he demanded angrily, his voice harsh in the relative silence and he felt Eleanara cringe beside him.

Kwan sighed at the outburst and cleared his throat, refusing to respond. Instead, the blindfolds were finally removed, dazing the two with the amount of light they were suddenly exposed to. Even the dim light of the tent was bright when they had been blind for most of the day and tears welled up as the sudden assault on the senses.

Kwan and Jae-Yup regarded them stoically for a moment as they adjusted to being able to see again. They didn't miss that the pair took note of the four guards stationed throughout the tent, one in each corner, intensely watchful. A small table was at the back of the tent, on top of which was a platter of food that made their mouths water to see. Reluctantly, they focused their gazes elsewhere, determined to not appear needy, and observed a cot on the other side of the tent, slightly nicer than the one they were on. Other than being spacious, it wasn't particularly lustrous.

"You know I do not find your discomfort amusing," Kwan stated simply while Jae-Yup nodded in agreement. "I simply acknowledge you might be hungry." He did not go to retrieve the food that was set for him and his sergeant but he did step partially out of the tent to quietly speak to another man before returning promptly. The group waited for someone to come along, the guards waiting patiently, unobtrusively in the corners while the other four watched each other intently. Kwan gestured for Jae-Yup to help himself at the table and he graciously bowed while the captain pulled up a chair in front of the elementalists. "Now. Must I feed you like children or can I trust you enough to behave?" he asked seriously, his gaze directed at Kyuhyun pointedly.

It was a look Eleanara did not miss and she glanced between the two in confusion, certain she had missed something. "Allow us at least that much freedom," she quietly spoke, her gaze pleading. Her arms and wrists ached from the awkward position and she could only imagine Kyuhyun felt the same. Nor did she wish to suffer the indignity of having to be fed like an infant when they were both more than capable.

Kwan nodded at her in acknowledgement but then looked at Kyuhyun again. "Well, Kyu?" he asked softly, a world of inflection in the query.

Kyuhyun worked his jaw for a few seconds, wanting very much to light this man on fire right now. At last, he sighed heavily, "We can feed ourselves." It was as close as he was going to get to graciously doing anything for Kwan and the captain at least nodded once in understanding.

As a young soldier slipped in with a medium sized tray, the trio looked at the tent flap in tandem. Kwan gestured for him to set the tray on the table where Jae-Yup was currently working on his food. Hastily, the young man departed as soon as his task was complete and Kwan beckoned Eleanara to stand up. "One at a time," he explained as he waited.

Eleanara looked at Kyuhyun uncertainly and he nodded once, forcing a half-smile for her benefit. Carefully, she stood up and watched Kwan with no small amount of wariness. She flinched when he reached out for her but held her ground and clenched her jaw tight as he turned her around so he could untie the ropes.

"Nara," he murmured sadly, undoing red tinged bindings.

Eleanara cringed when she was finally able to bring her hands around in front again, rubbing at sore but healed wrists. She paused and turned to look back at Kwan, a determined expression on her face. "Eleanara," she told him softly but firmly as she nodded once and with a slightly more relaxed expression, offered Kyuhyun a half-smile in turn. It didn't feel right that he keep calling her by that name. Cautiously, she approached the table, edging around Jae-Yup and gingerly taking a seat in the chair on the other side.

Perhaps it was because she was being watched or that she was so hungry, she didn't feel it anymore, but she ate with more control than the captain expected. He watched her for a moment more before switching his gaze intently to Kyu as he sat back down, toying with the stained ropes without thought.

Kyuhyun eyed the food with longing for a second before he returned to glaring at Kwan. He stared at the ropes in his hands with a frown on his face. "You don't have to keep her tied up you know," Kyuhyun stated quietly, trying to keep his voice low so that the other two would not hear. "What's she going to do? Heal you?" he asked with a sneer.

Kwan smiled in genuine amusement, his eyes twinkling. "And I suppose I could untie you as well?" he queried, one brow raised thoughtfully.

"You could," Kyuhyun shrugged noncommittally, his eyes shifting over to Eleanara and the food again. His response made Kwan laugh, drawing the attention of both persons at the table. Easily, he waved his sergeant off but the elementalist continued to watch him keenly, sending a concerned glance at Kyuhyun.

"I think not," Kwan responded through his smile. Kyuhyun eyed him in annoyance but didn't respond. The pair continued their steadfast silence until Eleanara pushed herself away from the table, finished for now. It did not look as if she'd eaten all that much but the Captain gestured for Jae-Yup to assist her outside while he attended to Kyuhyun. "She'll be fine," he assured the elementalist as Eleanara was escorted out the tent flap easily. "I suggest you eat while you get a chance," he told the young man, gesturing at the table once the bindings were freed.

Kyuhyun eyed the Captain for a moment before he stepped towards the food. He probably had a very good idea of how badly he wanted to incinerate him right now, but Kwan kept himself pointedly nearby and with four additional guards in different directions, it would be unlikely he would be able to do anything other than kill off one or two before something happened to him. While it was likely Eleanara would be able to heal him again, it wasn't exactly as if he wished to feel another blade bury itself in his person… For now, they simply maintained their standoff and ate at the table.

It annoyed Kyuhyun to no end that Kwan ate with such poise and he felt briefly obligated to match that. Captured or not, this captain wasn't better than him, but such thoughts were promptly dismissed when he decided he didn't care. He was hungry and if this bastard wasn't going to stop him, he was damn well going to eat. After all, he didn't know when they might get to eat again after this. He made a point to watch Kwan though and several times he looked at the tent flap expectantly, waiting for his companion to return. Fortunately, she was not gone long and he felt a twinge of relief at seeing her back inside the tent, unharmed.

It was a sentiment she shared upon seeing him still eating as she hadn't been sure what Kwan would do to him. She already had her reservations about the man since he had stabbed Kyuhyun earlier, no matter what he might say his reasons were. Unfortunately, what she thought didn't matter and her freedom was soon revoked again when Jae-Yup saw to it that she was bound and seated back on the cot. She hadn't exactly believed she would be allowed that small bit of freedom for too long but it had been a nice thought to entertain. At least this time, the bindings weren't quite so snug.

Seeing how Eleanara was treated, Kyuhyun had a pretty good idea of what to expect as he glanced down at the mostly empty plate. Resolutely, he finished it off and then glared at Kwan with a deadpan expression.

"Finished?" the captain asked politely, not waiting for a response before he stood up and beckoned for Kyu to follow him.

Kyuhyun grumbled under his breath but reluctantly followed along. Again, he looked over at Eleanara and nodded once in assurance, giving her one of his cocky half-smiles. It amazed him that so small a gesture could make her brighten considerably, even when they were surrounded by enemies and held prisoner.

Eleanara watched him escorted out, certain that he would return shortly so long as no one outside pissed him off. She sat, poised on the edge of the cot, as she waited impatiently for him to return. For all that they didn't see eye to eye on things, she worried about him a lot of late. His propensity for hurting himself was becoming dangerous and right now, even though she knew Kharin and Leeteuk were alive, he was all she had. When he did return, he was treated to the same attention she had received.

Having seen to his charges, Kwan wasted no time in getting them settled for the evening. Another cot was brought in and he placed it next to his. Before he did anything else, he put the blindfolds back on the elementalists, annoyed by their combined resistance as Eleanara ducked away from it and Kyu actually kicked at him. "I could just leave them on all the time," Kwan offered noncommittally. It did not bother him either way if they could see or not. He could make sure they walked safely from place to place and see to it that they were fed by hand if need be.

As predicted, Eleanara relented first and Kyuhyun put up a token resistance but succumbed as well. Easily, the two were separated again and Eleanara was placed on the cot near Kwan. The captain continued to maintain it was for her protection but Kyuhyun saw it as taking her hostage against him. He ground his teeth as he lay on the cot, listening to the sounds around him, wishing he could incinerate Kwan without recourse… The unfamiliar sounds of the camp kept him awake, even though he was tired and full. Armor clanked softly at a sentry walked by; horses shifted and whickered nearby and even Kwan's voice as he spoke quietly with Jae-Yup at the table. Every now and then, he could hear Eleanara shifting in her cot, the surface creaking softly as she moved and he recalled how she had asked to stay with him the other night. He doubted she'd sleep much either, seeing as she hated to be alone and no, he didn't count Kwan as good company. It was a long time before either of them drifted off to sleep.

Waking was startling as the same sounds that had kept them up brought them both to consciousness quickly. "Kyu?" he heard Eleanara ask as he woke up, a twinge of worry in her tone.

Of course he was still here… Where did she think he was going to go? "I'm awake," he grumbled as he sat up slowly, his shoulders and arms aching from where he had slept on one side the whole night.

"Good," Captain Kwan remarked as they heard him walk nearby. "We leave within the half hour," he explained quickly. "And don't be alarmed. We've brought you food and drink," he warned them easily before he gestured for the two patrolmen to approach. They held waterskins and a cup of porridge, watered down so a spoon was not required.

"Didn't we already establish we can feed ourselves?" Kyuhyun muttered crossly as he just managed to keep his foot down when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. An amused chuckle was his only response.

The elementalists were given food and water before they were led back outside as the tent was carefully packed behind them. A random array of sounds assaulted them as the camp was taken down and men prepared to get moving again. Kwan retrieved Eleanara again and Kyuhyun was handed off to He-Sung, one of the more experienced riders in their party. The two patrols parted ways and the uncomfortable ride began again.

* * *

><p>After seeing two of his friends disappear and two others captured, Siwon's demeanor changed. He looked at Eun Mi with intense, troubled eyes. "I need to be walking <em>now<em>," he stated simply. The scrying bowl sat on his lap, forgotten as he continued to force himself to take deep, measured breaths. Her words from earlier came back to him and he decided his forward momentum was too slow.

Eun Mi frowned slightly while her hands came to rest on her hips. "I can't heal you any faster than I am." She looked back at Yong-Soo for assistance but he just shrugged.

"I'm not asking you to heal me. You've done that," he stated with an acknowledging glance at his person. "But I need to be able to walk on my own today."

His determination would have been admirable if the situation wasn't so frustrating. Quietly, she asked for patience as she took a deep breath. "You just got washed down the greater portion of the Angmer and you demand a miracle. You're lucky to even be alive," she stated bluntly, unusually annoyed with her patient.

In frustration, Siwon growled and tossed the scrying bowl off his lap, splashing water everywhere. The wooden bowl bounced off the wall and clattered loudly against the floor, settling noisily. "Did you not hear what I said?" he demanded heatedly. "My friends have been captured. I can't just lay here anymore."

Taken aback by the reaction, Eun Mi took a step back and Yong-Soo cleared his throat. "There's no need for that, Siwon," he chided disappointedly as he moved over to retrieve the overturned bowl. "Do you think we like living in his shadow being able to do nothing against him?" he asked softly as he focused on the bowl instead of the elementalist, running callused fingers over the surface, noting a small dent in one side.

Some of the anger drained from Siwon at the question, but his frustration remained. Forcibly, he took another breath and made his hands unclench with some effort. "What would you suggest then?" he asked the young man.

After another moment, Yong-Soo looked up and met the elementalists gaze evenly. "I would suggest you ask Eun Mi. Nicely," he added with a small smile and a nod of his head before he took the bowl to the hidden door and let himself back down the stairs to refill the bowl again.

Feeling like a chastised child, Siwon looked up at Eun Mi from under his brows and he murmured softly. "I'm sorry."

The herbalist sighed and pulled up a chair across from Siwon as she regarded him steadily, no trace of the surprise in her expression anymore. Thoughtfully, she chewed her lower lip, making him more nervous with each moment that she didn't say anything. At last, she moved and reached easily for his forearm. Carefully, she felt along the length of it, watching his expression change when she hit a tender spot.

The majority of his person had been bruised and scraped when she had found him. Most of the smaller injuries could be treated with salves and herbal teas, but the muscle soreness and the deep tissue bruises he had suffered were going to take longer to heal and that was simple fact. Nothing she did was going to make that move any faster. Still…if he wanted to put himself through that sort of trial this early on, she could at least make sure he was actually up for it. She knew well that the mind could make many things possible that were otherwise not.

"What are you doing?" he finally asked when she had finished his other arm and gently pushed him back on the bed as she probed his chest with tender, practiced fingers. He was slightly uncomfortable with the present situation, but there was very little that was warm about Eun Mi right now, so his discomfort stemmed mostly from the fact that she still had yet to answer him. She had very much become the focused healer and he was simply her patient.

In a distracted voice, she responded, "I'm trying to make sure I don't make things worse by helping you." Her lips pursed tersely as he winced when she hit another tender spot and she made yet another mental note. Surprisingly, he was healing well, but he still had so many injuries she was concerned about. Mindful of his privacy, she pulled the cover back over his chest and carefully tested his legs, which he was very shy about. After he jerked from her touch for a third time, she sighed and placed her fingers to her temple. "Would you just relax?"

"It tickles…" he murmured in embarrassment with a slight flush on his face.

Unexpectedly, Eun Mi actually laughed, her annoyance draining from her quickly. Still laughing softly, she waved for him to sit up. "I see. Alright. Then I need you to tell me where your tender spots are." Much more comfortable with that, Siwon nodded and felt his legs, easily denoting where several sore spots spoke very loudly. Eun Mi filed them away and then sat back in the chair and looked at Siwon sternly. "I will help you, but you must agree to stop when I tell you to."

Siwon frowned at the restriction and couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

One brow arched in response to his query and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Because I am temporarily going to help your body ignore the pain it's going to feel and if you injure yourself more because you didn't listen to me, I will not help you anymore."

"Oh…" he shrank back from the slightly scary expression on her face.

"Agreed?" she asked, reaching out her hand.

Hesitantly, Siwon reached out to accept the gesture and nodded. "Agreed."

A smile crossed Eun Mi's face again and some of the warmth returned as she called over her shoulder, "Yong-Soo. You can come back up."

Carefully, Yong-Soo returned with a full bowl of water, an amused smile on his face as he looked between the two. He had purposefully remained behind to give them privacy but sound carried very well inside the small enclosure. The elementalist seemed to realize it almost immediately too and he flushed slightly at the thought. "So what is the plan then?" he asked his cousin as he handed the bowl back to Siwon.

"Just keep an eye on him for now. I've got to go find that salve mother taught me and then I can make him some tea," she shrugged before standing up and disappearing downstairs again.

Yong-Soo chuckled at the lost look on Siwon's face. "We keep most of the finished products downstairs," he explained. "Her mother sells a salve in town that helps to reduce pain. Similarly, there's a tea she promotes that works in that regard as well."

"I see," Siwon murmured in understanding, his face flushing again as he realized the salve would have to be applied directly to the skin. Surely she wouldn't…

Eun Mi returned then, a small, sealed jar in one hand and a packet of herbs in the other. The salve she gave to Yong-Soo before throwing the packet of herbs in the kettle and setting it over the fire to boil. Easily, she returned to Yong-Soo and pat him on the shoulder, "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Go on," he waved with a grin. At least she knew enough to know her patient was already uncomfortable she was a woman. After she left and while they were waiting for the tea to heat up, Yong-Soo helped Siwon to undo the wrappings so that he could apply salve to the sore spots. The tender flesh beneath was a surprising array of colors along the length of most of his body and even Yong-Soo was a bit surprised at the extent of his bruising. "No wonder she was worried about you getting up and about," he whistled appreciatively. She really must have confidence in his ability if she was even letting him do this much.

Rebandaged and fully dressed again, Siwon finally stood up while Yong-Soo went to get the tea. Already, he could feel the numbing sensation from salve working on the sore spots they had addressed and it did not take long for the tea to go into effect either. When Yong-Soo finally assisted him in stepping outside in the later afternoon, Siwon felt surprisingly good; far more so than he expected to with his current condition. He was considerate of Eun Mi's words though and relegated himself to walking only.

The pair did laps outside the house so that Siwon could see the cart he was hauled here in, free of the donkey that was currently resting in a small stable large enough for two. A moderate pile of firewood was stacked against one wall of the house and there was a rack upon which several herbs were laid out for drying. It was a fairly quaint place, all things considered. He could see the Angmer from here, but it was a fair distance away and making the trip on foot for him now would be an adventure. Sedgewood forest was much closer and within easy walking distance of the cabin. For now, he was more than content to avoid it. After the first few laps around the house, he found he had to pause frequently to catch his breath, leaning on Yong-Soo who patiently waited for him to recover before they continued.

After about an hour, Eun Mi stepped outside to call them back in. "That's good for now, Siwon," she explained, watching him as his body began to recognize that it was overreaching itself, even if he didn't feel it just yet. She shook her head ruefully as he reluctantly headed back inside. He was going to be sore tomorrow. When he was back in the cot, she approached him with another tea. "Drink."

Siwon shrugged and did as she asked, noting that this one was different from the other one he had earlier. "What's this one for?" he asked curiously.

"Soreness," she laughed lightly. "You will feel it later," she assured him simply as he looked confused for now. "Later, I'll give you a compress you can apply to help reduce it further as well. How do you feel so far?" Her question was warm and the concern was evident as she placed her hand against his forehead, testing. His temperature was slightly elevated but that was likely from the exertion, even though he had only been walking.

"Good," he nodded, taking another sip of warm tea.

Eun Mi nodded to herself and smiled. "Just rest for a bit. Let's get some food in you and then you can take another few laps outside again. Okay?"

Agreeably, Siwon nodded and looked over at Yong-Soo who was smiling slightly. "What?" he asked as Eun Mi stepped away to begin preparing dinner.

"Nothing," the other man laughed lightly. Easily, he gestured at the water filled bowl off to the side. "Why don't you check on them?" he suggested before he got up to assist his cousin.

Nervously, the elementalist stared at the bowl within easy reaching distance and finished his tea before he reached for it. With shaking hands, he called up the image of Kyuhyun and Eleanara, concerned for their well-being. They were still riding… A sigh escaped him as he felt helplessness slide back over him. Soon. Soon, he would be able to do something again. Hesitantly, he let the image go as he called up Kharin and Leeteuk, wondering what the result would be this time. His heart soared when their pictures surfaced in the water. A smile made its way across his face as he saw them moving along the tree line. It looked as if they were walking with the forest on their left side. If he wasn't mistaken, they were heading this way and if they stayed the course, they would have to run into this house.

He tried to pan out to see if they were even close to where he was but the image got distorted the larger his view became. He gave up on the attempt quickly and called up Eunhyuk and Summer. They were still together at least. A sweet smile appeared as he saw Eunhyuk hug Summer and the immediate thought came to mind that Kyuhyun would be jealous if he saw that. Despite the current circumstances, or maybe because of them, Siwon laughed lightly. Easily, he let the image go and placed his hand over his eyes, focusing on breathing. He felt an overwhelming array of emotions just then and with them, the urge to cry. Resolutely, he pushed the feelings away and looked out the window. Soon, he would be able to do something. He had to keep telling himself that.

As the rest of the day wore on, the three gathered at the table to eat. Siwon found himself incredibly hungry and ate more than his fair share, to his chagrin. Eun Mi encouraged it though and since Yong-Soo didn't object, he finished what was left of dinner too. Another dose of the pain inhibiting tea enabled him to step outside with Yong-Soo again while Eun Mi watched from the doorway. She counted a few circuits before disappearing inside and when she called them back, she had the promised compress for Siwon. She dosed him with more of the tea from earlier and then got ready to call it a night. Yong-Soo did the same and both saw the water elementalist staring at the scrying bowl as they drifted to sleep.

Siwon had to see them once more before he called it a night. He made sure nothing had changed with Summer and Eunhyuk, glad they were still faring well. Kharin and Leeteuk had settled down for the night without a fire. Kharin was still up while Leeteuk was sleeping. So they had decided to keep a watch after all. Hesitantly, he switched over to Eleanara and Kyuhyun. They were in a tent and the man that had been behind Eleanara while they were riding and who had captured them in the first place was still there. The pair were still blindfolded and bound, separated on different cots. He could tell by the way they moved that neither was sleeping just yet. For a long time, he watched them carefully, promising he would not forget their treatment. It wasn't that they had been treated poorly, their initial capture aside, as they were both well, but it was the fact they were being held captive at all that really bothered him.

He shifted his gaze to focus on their captor and etched the sleeping face into memory. At least now he had something he could focus on…a face that he could vent his anger and frustration upon. Right then, Siwon didn't really care if he was just following orders. He was already determined that Enrhyll was going to pay, but this man would too, for capturing and detaining the gentle Eleanara and the spirited Kyuhyun. Finally, he banished the image and set the bowl aside. When he at last allowed himself to lie down, he was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>A great sense of glee filled Enrhyll when he realized that two of the elementalists had been found and captured, though he would certainly have to speak to Kwan about their treatment. Granted, the elementalists had seemed alarmed at his escort and that surprised him, but they had just been washed down the Angmer. Perhaps they were still suffering from some disorientation. He was positive they would come around once they arrived here. The other five had still eluded his patrols and it was maddeningly frustrating that he did not recall the others well enough to get a reading on them. He was more concerned with the four other elementalists rather than the neutralizer.<p>

He had forgotten to make any note of her… It would not bother him at all if she did not accompany them. He already had a neutralizer at his side. There was no need for another, and yet he had remembered her better than the rest, if only because she had the vibrant red hair. Red was such a pretty color and it looked so very good on him. Then again, so did all of the other colors. With a start, he pulled himself back to his former train of thought and regarded the scrying bowl again. He could remember the obvious about them; that one had bright blonde hair, another vibrant red hair and they all wore specific amulets, but their faces were little more than blurs. When he saw them the first time, it didn't matter what they looked like, only that they were the Elementalists and they were coming to see him.

Still…these two he could see and watch; the light and fire elementalists. He had gleaned that much in the encounter they had been captured in. A sigh of contentment escaped him as he imagined how they would react to his presence. Surely they would pay homage to their God, the one in whom all the elements were gathered. They would see him and fall to their knees in awe as they recognized his greatness. The thought made him smile and he sat back in his throne as he crossed one long leg gracefully over the other. "Hana?" he asked smoothly, his voice more of a purr.

Surprised at being addressed but nearly ecstatic about the tone he had used, Hana stepped forward and knelt in front of him, but off the side and out of the way of the scrying bowl. "My lord," she breathed softly, keeping her eyes downcast on his booted feet.

"Have the rooms been prepared?" he asked distractedly before he glanced down at her.

"Of course, my lord," she assured him with a deeper bow.

"Hmm. What do you think they will be like when they arrive?" he asked intently, waiting for a response.

Hana dared to look up then and was rewarded with his direct attention as he waited for her response. She had a hard time breathing for the look in his dark eyes but she finally gathered her words and spoke quietly, "I think they will love you, my lord. You are so very worthy of it," she added, hoping that maybe this time he would acknowledge the feelings he had to know she had for him.

Enrhyll pursed his lips and leaned back again. "Of course they will love me, Hana. I was asking what you thought of them." Perhaps a new neutralizer might not be so bad after all. Hana had been with him for a long time but she was trying to get too close of late.

She nodded her head in apology. "I do not know them, my Lord. I would not wish to displease by telling you otherwise." Little by little, she had picked up on what his new obsession was and she discovered that he had been watching the elementalists. As he had guessed, they had awakened and were on their way here. She resented them really; hated them if she had to say it truthfully. Their coming had changed him…but, their coming made him happy which she wanted above all else. Maybe things would change when they finally arrived. Maybe then he could finally go back to being _her _lord Enrhyll.

He turned her answer over in his head briefly and then nodded. That was true enough. She could not see them in the scrying bowl and did not know who they were. "Come then. Let us see if the rooms are suitable for them," he smiled warmly, gesturing imperiously for her to follow along in his wake.

Eagerly, she stood up and followed quickly, excited to show him what she had managed to prepare. The guest rooms in the palace were extensive and she had made sure to have them properly arranged for such distinguished persons. Personally, she doubted they deserved such treatment but it was not her place to say. She simply allowed herself to watch Enryhll from the side and slightly behind him. He was so beautiful. Yes. Once they were here, things would change. She smiled to herself as she was consoled by the thought.


	26. Chapter 26

In the Silverberg manor, Eunhyuk and Summer did not see her parents for the rest of the day. They remained closeted off and out of sight, which was fine by Summer for now as she still had plenty to sort through. Even though it was her home, Summer wasn't sure what she was allowed to do or where they could go so they simply returned to the large lounge area in the front and took a seat. The house was surprisingly quiet as none of the residents were in obvious sight. Oh, they had additional servants but they were more like ghosts that you saw out of the corner of your eye but were gone when you turned to see what it was. Before they had much chance to discuss anything, the front door was opened again.

Sage stumbled back inside, disheveled and dirty as he had been thrown off the horses…yet again. "What?" he grumbled as he saw their surprised expressions. "You try riding the dumb things," he muttered before he stomped off to the left towards his room.

Summer bit her lip to keep from laughing outright and Eunhyuk chuckled softly as her younger brother departed stiffly. It looked as if more than his pride had been bruised today. "I wonder what it would be like to ride one though," Summer murmured when he was out of earshot.

Eunhyuk shrugged and leaned back in the plush seat he had taken. It was almost too comfortable for his taste. They'd never had anything so nice when they lived in the monastery or even when they had visited the inns on the way here. It almost seemed a waste to him to have such nice things shared by so few. "Scary if your brother is anything to go by," he grinned. He would admit he was curious too but they were such large creatures. Although, Lute had been pleasant enough when she was pulling the cart for the minstrels. That would be altogether agreeable.

"But fast," she added thoughtfully as her gaze traveled to the front door.

Eunhyuk's grin faded and his expression became pensive. "You're thinking about heading to the capitol aren't you?"

"That is still our goal," she sighed, looking down at her hands as she picked at imaginary calluses. "We can't do anything until we hear back from father though." One hand moved up to her mouth where she chewed on her nail worriedly.

Uncomfortably, the wind elementalist leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "They have to be alright, Summer." He awkwardly clasped and unclasped his hands in front of him and then hung his head, the action hurting the still bound wrist.

"It's only been half a day," she remarked, almost as if to herself. "It took us a full day to make the road from where we were."

"But we were injured and on foot," he added, his voice slightly muffled as he hadn't looked up yet.

Quietly, Summer conceded that point and looked around before she threaded a lock of hair needlessly behind her ear. Nervously, she asked, "What do you think you'll do when this is all over?"

"Huh?" he asked as he finally picked his head up to meet her gaze. "I hadn't really thought about it," he admitted wryly, his mouth twisting into a half smile. "I just want to make it out alive," he stated, but the expression on his face indicated there was more he had left unsaid.

Summer laughed at the warm look in his eyes and nodded. "We've made it this far. So, _when_ we finish this, what'll you do?" She knew what she wanted to do and she figured she had a pretty good idea of what he would be inclined towards, but she wanted to hear him say it.

Shyly, he rubbed the back of his neck and this silly grin spread across his face. He flipped the blonde bangs out of his face with a toss of his head and licked his lips nervously. "I want to travel. I want to see what else is out there and just take my time. And…" he laughed to himself, a flush creeping into his cheeks. "I want Kharin to come with me," he finally admitted as he looked Summer in her blue eyes. "I think she would…I hope she would," he added uncertainly as he started to second guess himself.

She couldn't have stopped her laugh even if she wanted to and Eunhyuk looked at her in surprise. "Of course she'd want to," Summer assured him warmly. There was no doubt in her mind whatsoever. Certainly, she, Kharin and Eleanara had talked enough in the monastery about their crushes and while they hadn't had much time to speak on it further, except for the inns, it was clear they had all developed deeper feelings.

Her answer made him almost giddy with this sense of relief and he grinned again. A sense of elation filled him and he clung to it, wanting and needing that hope right now. With an effort, he pulled himself back to focus on Summer and his grin dimmed but did not disappear as he inquired, "So what about you? You must have some thoughts if you're asking me," he added with a knowing look in his eyes.

Immediately, Summer flushed and tried to shrink away from his attention. Her hands came up in an attempt to hide her blushing cheeks but she failed miserably. "Oh, I don't know," she dissembled, unable to control her revealing smile.

The reaction made Eunhyuk laugh with amusement and he would have prodded more but was distracted when he saw Sang Kyu and Myung Hee round the corner with their servants in tow. His amusement faded quickly as he sat up and noted that Summer did the same, though she was still slightly flushed. Politely, he stood up and bowed to them in greeting as they were approached.

Sang Kyu nodded in acknowledgement while Myung Hee gave him the barest of warm smiles as she glanced from her daughter to him, which was considerably more than she had given him earlier. Her father stepped up and opened his hands to encompass the pair. "Summer. Eunhyuk. I wished to invite you to dine with us this evening." The older man nodded towards the room in the back right to indicate it was the dining hall.

Now Summer stood up hastily and offered a small bow. "Of course, father. What time?" she asked uncertainly, generally lost in the protocol her family was infinitely more familiar with.

Myung Hee smiled indulgently, both amused and annoyed by her daughter's lack of more eloquent speech. "We were on our way to the dining hall now. Please," she gestured with her left hand as she requested they lead the way. Easily, she shepherded them to the room at the back and Sang Kyu followed along in their wake. "The children will be along shortly," she assured the pair as they stepped inside a very elaborate dining hall, replete with a table large enough to seat more than double the current household and set with polished silverware and fine glass plates. Polished metal goblets sat next to each placemat while three candelabras decorated the center elegantly.

Above, the ceiling had several small windows to allow light in during the day but at night, well covered wall sconces illuminated the room. Various paintings alighted on the walls, none of which were familiar to Eunhyuk or Summer. Uncertainly, they headed around to the other side of the table and took two seats side by side, watching Summer's parents as they did the same. It was not long before they were joined by the rest of Summer's siblings as Amber, dressed in a different gown from earlier and with her hair pinned up prettily, Autumn and Sage, clean and refreshed from his activities earlier, filed in.

Autumn and surprisingly, Sage as well, threaded around to the other side taking a seat next to Summer and Eunhyuk respectively. It was clear her younger brother had taken quite a liking to the wind elementalist after the story they told them all earlier. He had a look akin to hero worship on his face when Eunhyuk smiled hesitantly at him. Amber took a seat next to Sang Kyu and regarded the newcomers across from her haughtily. Quite frankly, Summer and Eunhyuk didn't know whether to be amused on annoyed…

While they were gracious to be invited to dinner, as the evening meal proved to be as exceptional as their late breakfast had been, it ended up being a rather awkward affair. Common enough niceties were exchanged over the soup, a light broth based dish, and the salad, with only general inquiries into the well-being of the group. Over the course of the entrée, Amber whined, apparently an accepted practice lately, about not having anything to do here and lamenting her lack of presence at court. The latter part made her father uncomfortable as he looked at Summer and Eunhyuk, as if debating something. Over dessert, she found further reason to make a nuisance of herself as the strawberry mousse was not whipped enough for her delicate palate. Sage snorted as he shoveled his portion down, quite content.

Summer had to hide her amusement as Eunhyuk practically danced in his chair. They all knew strawberries were a favorite food of his and it was a treat they were not often privy to in the monastery. For all intents and purposes, the mousse was nigh on divine and it showed. Autumn had to hide her smile behind her napkin as she pretended to wipe her mouth and even Myung Hee was not resistant to his charm as her eyes danced with delight. His reaction served to annoy Amber more and she pouted prettily while Sang Kyu seemingly remained unmoved, though he finished his with no comment.

At the very end of the meal, new goblets were brought out with a bottle of what appeared to be a blush colored beverage. "Have you had the experience of trying wine?" Myung Hee asked politely at their mystified expressions. In tandem, they shook their heads and she nodded at Soon Bok who was carrying the goblets and the wine. Two were set in front of Summer and Eunhyuk and another two in front of her parents, but the other siblings were left to look on. Amber continued to pout, an expression she was far too good at.

While her parents sipped the fruity smelling wine, Eunhyuk took a whiff and tried a sip before declining politely. Summer looked at him questionably until she tried and then smiled at the flavor. She didn't know why he didn't want it, but she thought it tasted very good. "It can be an acquired taste," Sang Kyu conceded to Eunhyuk who was content with water. After a pause in which his three youngest continued to watch the elders with curiosity, their father cleared his throat. "Children. I would speak with your sister and her friend alone," he stated simply as he continued to study them over the top of his goblet.

"But father," Amber started to object as she turned a pout on him.

"Amber Silverberg," Sang Kyu spoke softly but his tone was implacable, while his eyes remained on the subjects of his focus.

It had been a long time since he had used that tone with her and she quailed in response to it. "Yes, father," she bowed her head meekly, very much put out by being even moderately chastised. Quietly, she pushed herself up and exited the room with no further complaint, head still down. Very quickly, she was followed by a mildly surprised Autumn and Sage. Amber was father's little girl and when he refused her anything, it was worth noting.

Unaware of the significance of his response but fully conscious of the underlying tension in the room, Eunhyuk and Summer exchanged glances surreptitiously and watched as her siblings departed, leaving them alone with her parents. Seeing him across the table, Summer thought her father looked considerably older than he had earlier this afternoon. She wasn't sure if it was because he had spoken to Myung Hee this afternoon or because she had simply missed it earlier, but he looked tired.

Myung Hee reached out a hand and laid it comfortingly on Sang Kyu's as he started to stare into the wine goblet, swirling the liquid languidly as the silence lengthened. Troubled eyes met her gaze and he asked quietly, "Can they really beat him?"

"Why don't you ask them?" she suggested softly, her hand tightening slightly on his. She did not know the answer to that but they would know the extent of their own abilities far better than she.

Under the table, Summer grabbed Eunhyuk's hand, mindful that it was his injured one, and pursed her lips. His fingers curled supportively around hers as his expression turned serious. They waited for Sang Kyu to look at them before they responded to the query. "We will defeat him," Summer assured him while Eunhyuk nodded in silent agreement. Both were well aware they could not do it alone, but they were counting on the others being found, and soon. They had already defeated three of his constructs. Surely, combined they could match his strength.

Sang Kyu seemed uncertain, not that they could blame him. He truly hoped the Elementalists could defeat him, but he was also aware that if they could not, more would die. Still…more would die regardless. Myung Hee had spoken with him earlier and she had made the valid point that they were in fact merely delaying the inevitable by remaining quiescent. Enrhyll had no reason to keep them alive save his own pleasure and once that was gone, what chance did they have? He took a deep breath to calm himself and drained his cup in one gulp, startling the other three. "How do you plan to defeat him?" he finally asked, his eyes intense but unreadable.

The two across from him looked at each other, somewhat uncertain. It was one of those questions they had always pushed to the back to think about later when it actually became necessary to do so. Apparently now was the time to start making some decisions. "We had intended to sneak in, if possible and if not, we will fight our way through if we must," Eunhyuk stated confidently, though he felt anything but just then.

His bravado was a thin mask indeed and Sang Kyu couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. In essence, they had no plan. "That is not much to go by," he stated bluntly, his eyes calculating.

"It's worked so far," Summer stated somewhat tersely, flushing when he focused on her in disapproval.

"We will do what we must," Eunhyuk reiterated, tightening his grip on Summer's hand though the action hurt.

Sang Kyu barked a harsh laugh and Myung Hee removed her hand cautiously. "We don't have to decide anything tonight," she urged, looking between the three with tense eyes.

"No. And we shouldn't," Sang Kyu agreed with a sigh as he gestured for Soon Bok to refill his glass. She did so quickly and then removed herself while the others waited in silence. "I will wait until the scouts return." Another sip of wine and he regarded them with a look that made them feel very worried. "What if they are not found?"

Both jerked upright as if struck and their jaws clenched tightly. He had not said it outright but it was a question of if they had survived. "They'll be alright," Eunhyuk stated quietly, his voice thick with emotion.

"We have no reason to believe otherwise…" Summer added softly.

Sang Kyu shook his head slightly and took a breath, "We shall see." Without another word, he waved the others away as he stared gloomily at his goblet.

Myung Hee pushed hers away and stood up fluidly, beckoning for the other two to accompany her. Awkwardly, Summer and Eunhyuk got up before filing out in front of Myung Hee. "Come on, children," she murmured softly, slowing her steps to accommodate Eunhyuk's still stifled pace.

Summer quietly fumed. "Is he always so difficult?"

"Summer," Myung Hee chided softly. "Your father is…worried."

"So are we," Summer retorted, earning her a look but she refused to back down. "We're all worried, mother," she stressed pointedly.

The older Silverberg woman paused and turned to regard the pair. "Of course you are, dear. You'll understand better when you have kids of your own," she nodded sagely as she looked at the two of them knowingly.

Confusion washed over their features and then they both flushed. "It's not like that." "We're not…" they started to say at the same time, gesturing with their hands to emphasize their point.

Myung Hee nodded again with a self-assured smile on her face. "Come. Things always look better in the morning." Before they could say another word, she turned and began leading the way again, escorting them to the guest rooms, and more specifically, the Wind room. Politely, she held the door open for them and wished them both good night.

Eunhyuk and Summer watched her leave with some concern, still awkwardly embarrassed by her earlier assumption. As they looked around the room, they could see that the bed had been made and the dishes from earlier cleared away. Things had been tidied in their absence and with all of the excitement behind them, the events of the day abruptly caught up to them.

Summer helped Eunhyuk into bed, mindful he was still somewhat stiff and then settled herself beside him. The bed was more than large enough that they both had plenty of space, but being left alone and still so unsure of the fate of the others, they were drawn together, needing the assurance and familiar presence. It only extended as far as holding hands while they curled on their sides, comfortably warm under plush blankets, but the simple contact steadied them without the need of words. Sleep did not take long to find them.

A soft knock on the door woke them groggily in the morning, slightly more sprawled out than they had been when they fell asleep. As she wiped the sleep from her eyes, Summer slid out of the bed and went to open the door. She wasn't surprised when she saw that it was Mi Cha at the door, a covered tray and ceramic carafe in her hands.

"Good morning, my lady. Lady Myung Hee thought you might prefer to dine in the privacy of your room." Easily, she slipped inside and deposited the tray and carafe on the same table from the day before, politely averting her eyes from Eunhyuk who was just now getting out of bed, roused by the smell of food.

Summer placed a hand to her temple and sighed but forced a smile at Mi Cha. "Thank you. Tell my mother we are very thankful.

"Of course, my lady," Mi Cha smiled and bowed politely, removing herself quickly and quietly from the room and shutting the door behind her.

Eunhyuk shuffled up to the table, still somewhat sleepy, and promptly lifted the lid to help himself. Two plates were waiting underneath, filled with strips of crispy fried meat, diced and seasoned potatoes and two firm eggs. A small basket of biscuits with a jar of butter and another of a strawberry spread accompanied the array. Two empty mugs were overturned and the carafe was warm tea, to Summer's relief as she had feared it might be coffee.

Quietly, they ate their food, gazes intent upon their trays rather than on each other. It felt odd that no one else was with them and they didn't quite know where to begin. They finished up quickly enough and both took the opportunity to see themselves to the washrooms.

The warm waters felt divine after the past couple days and while Eunhyuk was perturbed by the number of wrappings he had to undo, he very much enjoyed his soaking too. Halfway through their bath, two new faces surprised them with the offer to assist in bathing, a luxury neither was accustomed to or wanted. Summer sent hers away and Eunhyuk only accepted his because his range of motion was much reduced.

Healer Kibum, the Silverberg physician, was able to catch Eunhyuk before he escaped the washroom. He tsked at the disregard the young man had for his treatment and promptly rewrapped the injured arm snuggly, the not unpleasant scent of a healing balm seeping from the limb. The rest of the wounds he figured were healing well enough so that they could go without the gauze he had intended to use. "Next time, ask before you go haring off and doing whatever you please," Kibum sighed with a patient shake of his head.

"Sure…" Eunhyuk offered uncertainly as he got used to the feel of the wraps on his arm again. He wasn't sure about the young looking healer who couldn't have been that much older than him, if at all… If nothing else, he certainly had the persona of an older, more distinguished individual as he ran nimble fingers through thick black locks and watched his patient with intense dark brown eyes.

Fortunately, it seemed to mollify the slightly miffed healer and Kibum relented, waving for the servant to assist Eunhyuk in finishing dressing and getting back out into the hall. He was inordinately glad to be out of their company and grinned in relief when he saw Summer, back in another floor length dress of a pale purple color. This time, she had been coaxed into having her hair done up so that she had few locks that trailed artfully down from the rest of the pinned up mass, held in place by two silver pins.

Slightly nervous, one of her hands played with the loose threads of hair and she returned his smile. "She wouldn't stop pestering me," she defended herself half-heartedly, annoyed and yet quite pleased with the results.

"It looks good," Eunhyuk assured her simply, the easy smile putting her more at ease than anything the servant had said.

"And you look like you feel a bit better," she nodded. He was wearing a similar cut of clothes he had been earlier and the blonde hair had been combed straight, but he'd brushed the bangs out of his eyes enough to see.

Eunhyuk shrugged and gave her another smile. Things could be worse, but they could also be infinitely better. He knew today would be a waiting game and neither he nor Summer were great at those. He doubted Sang Kyu would give them much of a response before too long and they were both going to be waiting to hear back from the scouts that had gone out. He tried to imagine how long it would take them on horseback but he had no idea…

Summer sensed his distraction and took a breath. There wasn't much she could do to put him at ease; she was just as wound up as he was with questions and thoughts, but she didn't particularly care to see either of her parents right now and her siblings weren't much better. Well, Autumn and Sage were alright…

It was actually the latter who found them and convinced them to join him around the house. Sage was energetic to a fault and easily distracted; likely a good reason why he couldn't remain on horses for very long. He coaxed the pair to the training hall where he introduced them to Kangin, the self-defense instructor who had been hired primarily for Sage's benefit. The tall, stocky man, who looked to be slightly older but vastly more experienced than either Summer or Eunhyuk, rubbed his mostly shorn head of hair and looked the pair up and down.

"So you're an elementalist," he drawled, still toying with the idea. It looked apparent that he wanted to test them in some way but he was also quite mindful of at least Eunhyuk's injuries and Summer was, well…a woman.

"As far as I'm aware," Eunhyuk replied mischievously while he watched Kangin.

"Hah!" he laughed, reaching out to smack his shoulder jovially, an action that still made the smaller man wince even though he hit his good limb. "Prove it," he suggested, his gaze still on Eunhyuk.

Uncertainly, the wind elementalist shrugged and looked between Summer and Sage briefly. He didn't see any reason not to and the neutralizer just looked curious. With an awkward gesture with his good hand, Eunhyuk summoned a gust of wind to Kangin's side strong enough to pull at his clothes and shift him to the right slightly. Both his and Sage's eyes widened in surprise at the evidence of power and the elder of the two coughed into his hand, slightly discomfited.

"That was amazing!" Sage grinned, staring at Eunhyuk in awe.

The wind elementalist laughed nervously and waved his hand dismissively. "Not really," he insisted shyly.

"But-!" Sage started before a light tap on the back of his head from Kangin reined him in.

"It's not anything you can do, so you should worry about your weapon's practice," he chided with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Sage looked downcast but picked himself up abruptly as he hurried off to the closet in the back to retrieve his practice gear. "Watch this," Kangin stated quietly, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he turned to sneak up on the younger boy. While Sage was still rifling around in the closet, Kangin snuck up and roared, "Rawr!"

"Ahhh!" Sage screamed, reflexively grabbing the nearest practice weapon, a wooden short sword, before he turned and swung the sword with all his might at his attacker.

Ready for the reaction, Kangin stepped just out of range and then swept back in to pick the boy up in a massive bear hug, drawing peals of laughter interspersed with half-hearted complaints. "No fair!" Sage cried as he was set down.

Kangin placed a hand on his head and ruffled the hair fondly. "Aye, but you're getting better," he grinned.

The small praise made the younger boy's face light up and he smiled broadly at Summer and Eunhyuk who nodded, unsure what else they were expected to do. "You'll stay and watch, right?" he asked, eager for an audience.

Summer and Eunhyuk shrugged. "Sure," Summer answered for them. It would be better than just waiting… Easily, they took a seat and watched as her younger brother sparred with Kangin who was a hard taskmaster, but never cruel. As the pair seemed to dance the line between teaching and playing, the observers lost track of time and before they knew it, Soon Bok had found them.

She cleared her throat delicately to get their attention as the sparring partners ground to a halt, winded but amused. "Master Sang Kyu wishes your company in the study. The scouts have returned," she informed them perfunctorily.


	27. Chapter 27

In the shade of the forest, the day was a bit cooler than Kharin and Leeteuk were used to, but with the effort of walking, a trying exercise at present, the temperature drop was actually welcome. During the day, the woods did not seem quite so ominous either as they could actually see the birds and some of the small creatures that caused the rustling sounds they had been hearing throughout the night. Beyond the shade, the day was only partially cloudy and it was lovely; a result they were both glad for and annoyed at.

They had been walking for a couple hours before Leeteuk had to call for a rest. His ankle had been throbbing for most of the morning and the crutches were getting inordinately heavy; stone simply did not get any lighter over time. "I just need to rest for a moment," he explained as he leaned against a tree trunk and allowed his body to slide down the rough bark, using his good leg to support him. He grimaced as he settled on the ground, the bad leg difficult to maneuver and fairly unresponsive.

Kharin looked at him and then up and down the path uncertainly. Abruptly, her shoulders slumped and she propped herself against the tree next to him. "We're getting there, right?" she asked softly as she peered at her hands in her lap, her palms facing up.

"One step at a time," Leeteuk assured her wearily before he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Carefully, he leaned his head back against the trunk and looked up at the foliage, watching as light filtered through the leaves when the breeze shifted them. After a moment, his hands came to rest against the ground, listening without really trying to.

It was easy to be lulled into a sense of complacency when they stopped moving forward and simply took the time to breathe. His ankle didn't hurt so bad just now and even Kharin seemed more at ease sitting since her face had relaxed, indicating her side wasn't bothering her that much just now. Leeteuk caught himself staring as a cloud drifted by in front of him when he heard a strange humming sound in his ears. A glance at Kharin showed that her head was nodding on her chest, rising and falling gently with each quiet breath.

"Hey," he started to say as he reached out to wake her, losing contact with the earth from both hands as he shifted. The sound stopped and he paused, mid reach. Tentatively, he placed his hands back down again and the humming sound returned, slightly louder this time. "Kharin," he called as he looked up and down the road.

Kharin woke up quickly, alert to the sound of her name. "What is it?" she asked as she started to push herself up.

"Something's coming," he warned softly as he looked up river and noticed a plume of dust rising up in a familiar pattern.

"Is it another patrol?" Kharin asked quickly, straining her eyes to see.

Leeteuk nodded. "I don't know if it's the same one though," he mused. "Come on then. Let's get to hiding," he suggested as he saw another group of moving figures combing the forest edge. They were obviously looking for something. Hurriedly, he hauled himself up with a rising seat and waited for Kharin, not even bothering to summon the crutches.

She paused for a moment more, but when it became a definite risk of them being seen, she grabbed his arm and pulled them both into the shadows at their feet. The eerie sensation of going through water encompassed them and they emerged into the shadow realm, much more in control than the first time. Leeteuk clung to Kharin for support, reluctant to put weight on his broken ankle, and watched the moving shadows from a distance.

"They seem to be about the same size as the last one," he thought out loud, his expression pensive.

"But why would they turn around?" Kharin asked. If they had given up already, wouldn't they just continue on? Or had it all been a trick to allow them time to lower their guard? Something felt odd about this patrol but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Leeteuk shrugged, distracted by the shadows moving directly towards them. He cringed reflexively when they flew by them, white blurs speeding under them as if they didn't exist. "They're fast," he sighed somewhat wistfully, watching the larger blur of white ride by from the road. He hated having to hide too. It galled him to no end and a look at Kharin showed that she was similarly tense.

She watched the group intensely, the wheels in her mind turning. They were grouped together tighter than the last patrol. She was sure of it. Impatiently, she waited for them to get out of range of seeing her before slipping through as she had done the last time, leaving Leeteuk floundering briefly as his support disappeared, to his surprise.

"Kharin!" he yelled too late as she sank through the light. "Dammit!" Tensely, he waited, balancing precariously on his good foot, and watched the shadow that represented her step out from the cover of the trees. "What are you doing?" he whispered to himself, slightly worried. "Hey. Hey!" he cried uselessly as her shadow suddenly sprinted after the patrol.

Vainly, Leeteuk tried to hop after her, wincing at each impact but more afraid that she was going to lose him. Why she had followed them in the first place? He was forced to give up after a few seconds, the effort needed too much to keep going and risk hurting himself further. "Kharin!" he screamed into the emptiness, a new fear reaching into him. What if she left him here? Was it possible she could forget him or lose him entirely?

Forcibly, he caught hold of himself and took a deep breath. "Calm down, Teuk," he told himself as he looked around the monochromatic landscape. "She probably had a very good reason. Just breathe…" Painfully, he sat down on the ground and watched the direction she had run in. She couldn't get very far very fast…not with her side the way it was. How long would it take her to give up and come back for him?

He was still fretting worriedly, eyes staring out into space when a figure popped up in the distance ahead of him. "Leeteuk!" she screamed raggedly, taking a second to locate the elementalist seated in the dark part of this world as he had made it out from the shadow of the trees. Kharin hurried to him as fast as she could, holding the painful stitch in her side as she ran. "The patrol!" she cried as she finally came within reaching distance, a mixture of fear and worry in her voice.

"What?" he asked worriedly, afraid for her reaction and what it might mean.

"Come on," she urged, grabbing his arm and hauling them both forcefully to the normal realm. They could just see the patrol still heading down the road, quite out of distance of their abilities. "I saw them," she finally explained briefly, watching the departing group with a pained expression as she seemed torn between trying to follow them and pull him along too.

"Who did you see," Leeteuk demanded as he raised himself up to her level and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"Two. The patrol had two of them." She struggled to find the words to express how happy she was to see that they were alive and how terrified she was that they had been captured.

Leeteuk's eyes widened in mingled hope and horror. "Who? Do you know who they had?" he asked urgently, his grip on her arms tightening unintentionally.

Kharin shook her head slowly. "They were hard to see. Kyuhyun or Siwon and maybe…" she hesitated to say the next one.

She didn't have to finish before Leeteuk's face paled and he stared after the patrol with a forlorn expression. "Eleanara…" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"I saw their hair…" she explained quietly, her own feelings jumbled inside her. The desire for immediate action warred with the shock of the news and the futility of following them on foot as they were. Even uninjured, they would not have been able to catch up to the riders.

"Why didn't you do anything?" he asked, his voice breaking.

"Don't you think I wanted to?" she retorted, following his gaze. "Gods! I would have, too… But I couldn't risk hitting them," she admitted angrily as her hands balled into fists. She did not have the control necessary to make sure they weren't caught in her attack and above all else, she did not want to cause them harm. She was startled out of her own anger when she heard Leeteuk actually growl.

The earth elementalist was glaring after the departing patrol, his jaw clenched and teeth bared. Every muscle in his body was tense and there was a dark look in his eyes. Immediately, he summoned up two crutches and started moving forward, new purpose in his step. He did not need to look back to know that Kharin was following along, catching up quickly and keeping pace with him. She was still faster than him, undoubtedly but now… They could not afford any more time lost.

It pained him to think that anyone had been captured. Especially her… Savagely, he shoved his pain and fear to the back of his mind; he would deal with them later. "I'm coming, Nara," he breathed through clenched teeth.

* * *

><p>After much deliberation, which amounted to all of a few minutes, Kyuhyun had decided that he didn't like being a captive. He hated riding, hated the rider behind him and hated being bound and blindfolded all the time. More than anything, he hated that smug bastard Kwan who kept Eleanara at his side at all times. He didn't honestly believe that the captain would cause her any serious harm but he didn't like seeing her hurt any more than he liked being hurt himself…<p>

Still… Kyuhyun focused on his ability. He knew his control was lacking as his last disastrous attempt had shown, but that did not mean he was powerless. The blindfold and the bindings were also strong deterrents against using his ability but that did not mean it was impossible…just more dangerous than usual.

Intently, he tried to focus on who was around him and where Eleanara was but it was impossible to tell unless she or Kwan said something. They had been riding for a while already; it was hard to keep track of time when he couldn't mark the position of the sun, but they hadn't stopped for a break yet. It had to be almost noon or thereabout. His biggest concern was whether he was going to try and do this while on horseback or wait until they were on foot.

If he waited though, he would probably end up near Eleanara again and he wanted her as far away from him as possible. Even he had no idea what the result would be. Impatiently, he decided he would wait until he heard Kwan. The captain always called the stop. Having decided he was going to do something, the waiting was even worse and he was fraught with worry and tension.

In agitation, he worked at his wrists, feeling the bite of the ropes as they dug into his skin. It was something else to focus on beside his opportunity. Carefully, he envisioned what he wanted and clung to the hope that it would be enough.

At last, he heard Kwan's voice call out from ahead. "Pull up! We'll break here!" he commanded as the party ground to a halt.

Kyuhyun grit his teeth and took a deep breath. With all the strength he could muster, he called the fire within him and directed it out, praying quietly that it would not ignite him too.

Eleanara had been riding as if in a daze, tired of feeling off balance and constantly steadied by Kwan. She continued to wonder how Kyuhyun was faring somewhere behind her but was more than happy when the captain gave the call to stop for now. She was ready to stretch her legs at the least.

They had not stopped yet when a dull roar sounded behind them, followed by the ear splitting scream of men and horses that rose into this horrible cacophony of sound that drowned out rational thought. Self-preservation took over in the next instant as she felt a wave of heat approach even around Kwan's body and a null heat barrier snapped into existence around them in a limited area.

She felt the fury of the flames and cringed in on herself, screaming in terror and feeling Kwan lean forward to protect her further from the heat even as the horse lurched under them, desperate to get away. Kwan's arms tightened on either side of her to keep her from falling off as he pulled hard on the reins. After a brief struggle, the armored man managed to get the terrified creature under control and they could feel it trembling beneath them as a dread silence settled behind them.

Shakily, Kwan pulled the horse around to see what had happened. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the remains of his patrol and their horses, little more than burning carcasses around Kyu and He-Sung who were both lying on the ground, their horse gone. A perfect circle of untouched soil ringed them about six feet in diameter but beyond that for about thirty feet was a charred ring of black where the flames had burned the earth and everything above it. The five he had combing the forest were making their way over warily, unharmed but nervous and very upset.

For the first time in a long while, Kwan felt an overwhelming sense of anger take root as he glared at the fire elementalist. If he hadn't already spent himself in that stupid attempt at getting free, it was likely the captain would have thrashed him. As it was, Eleanara's frightened whimper caught his attention and he took a calming breath as he looked down at the bound woman. "Your friend is very foolish," he muttered blandly as he kicked the horse to get him moving forward.

"Kyu?" she asked softly, fighting the impulse to be sick as the stench overwhelmed her senses.

As Kwan looked down at He-Sung and Kyu, he could see they were both flushed by the heat of the flames but were otherwise unharmed. An annoyed look around showed the horse they had been riding was a considerable distance behind them, still moving uncertainly away from the group upriver… The captain glared at the retreating creature darkly and decided it was not worth recapturing as the riders were alive and while Kyuhyun looked fairly insensible, He-Sung was slowly getting up, appearing very dazed. "Alive," he finally answered tersely, making her flinch.

Abruptly, he gestured for the five riders to converge on him. They did so warily, eyeing the elementalist with no small amount of alarm and anger. He had wiped out nineteen of their companions and friends in the blink of an eye. They had no love for him and it showed on their faces. He could hear some of them muttering unpleasantly under their breath. "Enough!" Kwan stated fiercely, drawing their attention in an instant. Hurriedly, he chose one of the other riders to take He-Sung's place while the latter clambered up behind one of the other men.

Tae Hyun did so reluctantly, but Kyuhyun was hauled into place in front of him, his body weak and unresisting, utterly spent from the display of power that had decimated the patrol. Kwan rode close to the pair and grabbed the front of Kyuhyun's shirt, giving him a firm shake so his head snapped back once. The young man groaned weakly in protest at the treatment. "You have made things considerably more difficult for yourself," he growled softly, unable to maintain his neutrality.

Kyuhyun mustered the barest of smirks that did not last. His attempt had failed. He wasn't sure what he was trying to accomplish, but it hadn't worked and he was, in fact, in a worse position than he'd been earlier. "Eleanara?" he asked softly, well aware she would be nearby if Kwan was here. He was briefly worried that something might have happened to her in his attempt but relief washed through him in the next moment.

Kwan nudged her gently with his free hand to prompt her and she started, "I-I'm alright."

"No thanks to you," Kwan growled as he released the shirt forcefully. The only reason he was alive was because she had pulled up a barrier to stop the flames from incinerating them both. He was still fuming that nearly his entire patrol had been destroyed by his attempt to lash out. This was going to make things considerably more difficult when he got to Enrhyll. They would have to ride harder than he wanted to as well. Abruptly, he steadied Eleanara in front of him again and kicked the horse forward, leaving the bodies of his burning patrol behind. The other five horses filed in behind him, with two carrying double, keeping pace easily and eager to get away.

Eleanara and Kyuhyun settled reluctantly, resigned to the hurried ride. They knew they would not stop for a break soon now and could only hope that they would at least have the blindfolds removed later on. The fire elementalist was wearier than he cared to admit and he wasn't sure how to feel about the results of his attempt. He had not seen the end result but he knew that smell and the sound around them was much reduced. It shook him to realize how little control he had and how close he had come to hurting Eleanara with his power too. With a feeling of intense gloom, he clenched his jaw and struggled to focus on what was to come.

* * *

><p>It was closer to midmorning when Siwon finally woke up. The sound of Eun Mi working at the table drew his attention as his mind swam through the fog of sleep and came back to consciousness, feeling distinctly stiff. As he tried to sit up, a groan escaped him when every muscle in his body complained vehemently about moving. Briefly, he started to panic, worried that he was somehow more injured for sleeping until Eun Mi heard him and came to his side.<p>

"Easy," she soothed, pressing his shoulders back down to the cot, a bemused smile pulling at her lips.

Siwon's face expressed confusion and he murmured, "It hurts to move…"

"It hurt to move before," she pointed out easily as she folded her hands in her lap patiently. At his annoyed expression, she laughed lightly and shook her head. "I know what you mean. I'm afraid you overextended yourself yesterday." She leaned forward slightly to place her hand on his forehead, noting that he was still a little bit warm, but not feverish.

"But you said it was okay," Siwon muttered, his brow furrowing.

"I said I'd help you to walk yesterday. I made no promises beyond that and I did warn you," she stated simply, one brow quirked knowingly.

"That's not fair," he grumbled as he tried to sit up and failed again. A heavy sigh escaped him as he set his head back down and stared at the ceiling.

Eun Mi's smiled faded and she watched him sadly. It was not that she found his plight amusing but he was like many of her patients, only they complained a great deal more. "Yong-Soo should be back soon," she offered, looking out the window briefly to see if her cousin was returning from his hunting foray yet. "In the meantime, are you hungry?"

Siwon had looked out the window when she had, surprised at how light it was as he hadn't realized it was so late in the morning. The alarm quickly gave way to the realization that he was very hungry as soon as she mentioned it. He quirked his mouth uncertainly and then admitted quietly, "I am hungry." He was grateful that his stomach had not felt the need to second that statement.

Knowingly, she nodded and stood up. "Let's see if we can get you sitting up," she smiled warmly as she started to slip an arm under his shoulders.

He cringed immediately but then firmed his jaw and waited until he felt her pressing upward before he tried to assist. His abdomen argued vehemently about the action and his arms weren't much better, so much so that he wasn't quite able to stifle the pained groan that came out anyway. It seemed an eternity of aching before he was up and could feel Eun Mi's hands resting lightly against his shoulder, comforting and supportive. He gave her a wan smile as she smoothed his hair almost reflexively.

"There we go," she smiled, stepping around to the front of him, keeping one hand lightly on his closest shoulder just in case.

Holding himself still left him with a vague sense of pain but nothing more than that. The deep breath he took was also mildly painful, but it felt good too and he laughed half-heartedly at his predicament, another thing that hurt. He wasn't sure if he should be more annoyed with her or with himself but with how he felt now, his activities for today would definitely be curtailed. It was a realization that did not sit well with him.

Eun Mi seemed to sense some of his unease as she kept the cheerful smile on her face but refrained from saying anything else. She retrieved the pot that had been resting next to the fire and brought it to the table. More porridge… She caught his expression as he caught sight of breakfast and laughed. "It's not that bad."

Siwon didn't argue. It wasn't that it was bad, but it was a very familiar food and one he was getting bored with. Porridge had been breakfast often enough in the monastery. Instead, he simply waited for her to serve some into a wooden bowl and accepted it with a quiet, "Thank you." Even the simple act of raising the spoon from the bowl to his mouth required more effort than he would have thought and he started to frown halfway through the bowl. "Why do I hurt all over?" he asked finally, still mystified by that result. He knew why his legs hurt but the rest of him?

The healer, who had returned to the table and had been separating the parts of the herbs she had on top, turned around and gave him a level gaze. She refrained from reiterating what she had said earlier and answered him honestly, "When one is injured as badly as you were, a simple act of walking might well require more from the rest of you just to function. That is what happened yesterday." His legs could carry him, with a little help, but he had used the rest of his body to stabilize his person both in standing and in moving with Yong-Soo's help.

Siwon looked frustrated at first and then resigned as he wearily took another bite, resting the spoon back in the bowl. "You could have warned me," he muttered.

"Would you have listened?" Eun Mi countered immediately, watching him with her head tilted to the side slightly.

The elementalist stared at the porridge gloomily and declined to answer, which was response enough for both of them. "Can't you just do what you did yesterday? With the tea and salve stuff?" he finally asked after taking another bite of food.

Eun Mi shook her head and tsked at him. "Oh no you don't," she chided easily, swinging around on the chair to look at him better. "I agreed to help you yesterday. Today, you _will _hurt yourself more if I let you even try to do that again."

"This isn't hurt?" he asked, a dry expression on his face.

"No. You're sore today. There's a big difference," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him.

The door opened then and Yong-Soo appraised the pair uncertainly as he stopped in the doorway, a string of ground birds in his hand. "Okay… What did I miss?" he laughed, breaking the tension in the room as the pair looked at him instead.

"Siwon wasn't expecting to be sore today," she explained, gesturing at the elementalist pointedly.

"You never said anything about it," he defended himself, looking at her and then back at Yong-Soo for some sort of support.

"Aish. You are a brat sometimes," Yong-Soo chuckled lightly as he stepped inside and ruffled her hair with his free hand, to her consternation, before he hung the birds on a hook by the fire.

"Hey!" she cried, vainly trying to smooth the mussed hair before sighing and taking it down to worry about later. Since she wasn't wearing the bandana as she had been the other day, the black locks spilled down her back and over her shoulders.

Siwon had not seen her with her hair down yet and when she glanced back at over him, her expression still perturbed, he didn't feel quite so annoyed. The pulled back horsetail gave her a more severe look but with her hair down, framing her face, she actually looked more the young woman she was and considerably softer. "I still think I deserved some sort of warning," he added softly.

The healer relented after a moment and sighed. "You might be right…" she spoke slowly. She sometimes forgot things that were obvious to her weren't always that easy to see for others. He might well have been completely ignorant of that… The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She doubted very much that he would have been exposed to such injuries in the monastery and would have had no reason to know one way or the other. And since he'd had the light elementalist with him after they left the monastery, such concerns would not have even mattered.

"How are your friends today?" Yong-Soo interrupted, extending the familiar bowl of water to Siwon as he came up to stand near his cousin.

The two that had been speaking looked surprised at first and then Siwon's expression became attentive and focused as he looked at the shimmering water. Eagerly, he reached for the bowl, wincing when he forgot about his soreness, and paused when he heard Eun Mi sigh. "Can't you at least finish eating first?"

The water elementalist glanced at the bowl of water and then at the bowl of food before finishing the latter in all of three bites and then grabbed the former from Yong-Soo. Eun Mi retrieved the empty bowl from his lap and was amused that he didn't even seem to notice as he swallowed and stared at the bowl. He held it for a few seconds before settling it on his lap when maintaining the suspended position got too tiresome. There was a definite sense of need in his expression as he stared raptly at the water.

As he had been doing more of late, he started with Kyuhyun and Eleanara, pulling up their images easily. His expression saddened as he saw they were still riding, blindfold and bound. They looked otherwise unharmed, but that did not make him feel any better since they were still captives. Siwon watched them for a little while longer, taking a moment to glower at the man behind Eleanara, before releasing the image and going on to another pair.

He was glad to see that Summer and Eunhyuk were doing well. They had changed again and seemed to be watching a younger boy and what appeared to be his instructor sparring. The duo made him smile as even the instructor seemed like a kid when interacting with the boy. It made him feel just that much better to know that they were at least doing well wherever they were. A small bit of the tension inside of him uncoiled at the sight and he switched over to the final pair.

Kharin and Leeteuk were walking again. They had decided to stay close to the forest but they appeared to be making decent progress. It looked like Leeteuk was hurting a bit more than usual but they were both free and no worse off than they were the last time he saw them. He watched as they slowed down and settled against one of the trees for a rest. Siwon smiled slowly before he looked away, relief and concern warring within him.

"Here," Eun Mi offered softly as she held a steaming mug of what smelled like tea out to him.

Reluctantly, Siwon set the bowl of water aside and accepted the tea with a nod of thanks. It smelled like the type she'd given him the other day for soreness. He sipped at it slowly while he watched Yong-Soo and Eun Mi sitting at the table. She had returned to separating herbs while her cousin watched her, earning several looks from the herbalist as she worked. Eventually, he got bored himself and took the birds out to clean them for later.

Carefully, Siwon set the empty mug to the side and slowly started to test his limits. He quickly found them very early on, to his consternation. Siwon was not good at meditating or pushing the pain away but he could be inordinately stubborn and this was one of those times. Despite the pain, he forced his aching body to swing throbbing legs over the side of the bed and gathered himself to try standing. He wasn't asking for that much…just to get standing.

Intently, he stared at the floor with his arms braced against the edge of the cot as he took a breath. He heard Eun Mi shifting briefly before he made his attempt and he pressed himself to try before she could stop him. Abruptly, he pushed himself up, feeling pain flare to life up and down his body. A weak cry escaped him as his body rebelled and he pitched forward reaching ineffectively for the chair directly in front of him as his vision blurred.

Eun Mi was there in an instant as she stepped in front of him and slipped her arms around his upper body, using her whole body to stop his forward momentum as much as possible. He was more solid than she anticipated and she had to take a step back which only delayed her own inability to support him as he sagged in her arms. "Siwon…" she murmured before losing the rest of her control as she crumpled under his weight. They landed in a heap on the floor, knocking the chair over in the process.

That was how Yong-Soo found them when he rushed inside after hearing the general commotion of them falling. His worry quickly dissolved into a fit of laughter he stifled with difficulty as he hurriedly cleaned his hands and then bent to help them. "What in the world?" he chuckled with a bemused look at Eun Mi who seemed pinned despite her best efforts otherwise.

"Would you just help me already?" she asked, blushing furiously. She was so glad that Siwon wasn't able to see her just now. A glance over confirmed that he had briefly lost consciousness with his head resting on her shoulder.

"Alright. Alright," Yong-Soo chuckled before he reached down to pick the elementalist up under his arms. "Get his legs, Eun," he nodded as she hurriedly scrambled to her feet, wincing and brushing herself off, still bright red.

Eun Mi eyed her cousin as he continued to smile but hurriedly picked up Siwon's feet, better able to carry him with his assistance. Carefully, they laid him back down on the cot and while Yong-Soo continued to laugh to himself as he stepped back outside to finish what he had started, Eun Mi pulled the chair up and sat down at Siwon's side, attentive. Lightly, she brushed his bangs back and tried to make him as comfortable as possible, fussing with the wrappings needlessly and checking the pillow his head rested on.

When it became apparent that he wasn't going to wake up immediately, she sighed and resigned herself to resuming what she had broken off when he tried to walk. Yong-Soo came back inside not too much later, the birds cleaned and ready to be cooked. While she finished her task, he set them on a roasting spit to start lunch. Eun Mi put her supplies away and dropped them off downstairs, returning with a handful of tubers and another handful of herb packets.

Quietly, the pair fixed lunch and waited for Siwon to wake up. The smell of food seemed to rouse him later in the early afternoon. With help, he was coaxed back into a sitting position, more sore than he had been this morning. Eun Mi handed him a small plate of food and watched him carefully, making sure he finished it and then gave him more tea to drink. Yong-Soo assisted him in stepping outside just for a bit not long after their meal and by the time they returned inside, Siwon was feeling the effects of being vertical again.

For the rest of the day, he napped on and off, drinking when told. Eun Mi and Yong-Soo kept him company and remained indoors, finding plenty to keep themselves occupied in the meantime. Fighting exhaustion, Siwon mostly forgot about the scrying bowl and neither Eun Mi nor Yong-Soo was keeping an eye out, so none of them saw the remnants of the patrol that galloped by on the main road. They were far enough back that most of the sounds of travelers never got to them and since the patrol was focusing on speed, they were not making a great deal of noise in the first place. The trio inside remained oblivious to the happenings beyond their cabin and were left alone, all but ignored in the patrol's drive to return to the capitol city.


	28. Chapter 28

It was with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that Eunhyuk and Summer followed along after Soon Bok back the way they had come and to the study through the lounge area. There were four men dressed in rough riding gear sprawled out on various seats and couches. They looked tired and pensive and all of them glanced at Summer and Eunhyuk speculatively as they rounded the corner and nervously made their way past them. Soon Bok explained over her shoulder. "They are the scouting party sent to retrieve your companions."

The pair had figured as much but they met the uncertain gazes more evenly now, searching for some sign. By the mere fact that none of them had anything to say and the absence of their friends, they could conclude that things were not all well. Nervously, Summer looked at Eunhyuk and he nodded slightly, reaching out with his good hand to touch her lightly across her back, supportive and encouraging.

Soon Bok knocked on the door first and waited for permission to enter before she pushed the portal open and gestured for the pair following her to step inside. They did so quickly and were somewhat surprised when she remained outside, closing the door behind them as she did so.

Sang Kyu was speaking quietly with a striking young man behind the large desk in the back of the room. On either side, the walls were lined with shelves of books, some tall enough to need a ladder to reach. Smaller desks were spaced around the room, one of which still had papers scattered over the top. It reminded them of some of the work they had to copy while in the monastery.

After a brief pause in their conversation, Sang Kyu stood up, gesturing for the young man beside him to do so as well, and motioned for the pair at the door to come forward. It appeared that they were the only two in here as Myung Hee was nowhere to be found and even the servants had been left out. Everything they had seen so far only continued to make them more worried.

Summer and Eunhyuk moved up close, scanning the faces of the two across from them carefully, worry knotting their insides up with tension. "What…what did you find out?" Summer asked uncertainly, meeting her father's gaze steadily.

Her father gestured towards the scout next to him. "Hangeng will be able to tell you more," he deferred politely.

Immediately, Hangeng found two pairs of eyes focusing on him intently. The platinum haired figure was used to being the center of attention but he found their scrutiny discomfiting. Distractedly, he cleared his throat and wiped his hands on the dark brown leather vest he wore, modest protection while on the road. "We did not found your friends," he started to explain, looking uncomfortable when his word usage seemed to surprise the pair.

"Find," Sang Kyu provided easily and Hangeng nodded in understanding.

Summer and Eunhyuk exhaled heavily and regarded the pair. Hangeng's accent was distinctly odd and he seemed uncertain of what words to use but seeing that her father had called him to the study and not any of the others, there would have to be reason. "Nothing?" Eunhyuk asked in disbelief.

Hangeng laughed harshly as he scratched his head, more a reflex action as opposed to an itch. "Signs we found. Your tracks," he nodded in acknowledgement, but then his expression darkened. "A patrol erased much signs until we looked at the bank. They left from Lornhaldt," he elaborated, remembering how they had followed the tracks from the main road to where they had found where Summer and Eunhyuk had crawled out of the river.

Fear washed over their expressions and Summer grabbed Eunhyuk's arm tightly. That was bad news indeed. "Did you see anything else?" she demanded hurriedly, afraid of what they might hear next.

The scout shook his head, dark brown eyes sympathetic. "We followed but did not want to risk being saw. They would see us and know who we are." He shrugged in mild apology but Sang Kyu seemed to think he had done the right thing.

"And why would that be a problem?" Eunhyuk demanded, slightly offended at what he saw as cowardice.

The two across from him favored him with an amused look. "Would you have rather they seen scouts from Silverberg manor and wondered what they were doing down the same path they were searching?" Sang Kyu asked bluntly.

It took a moment for the question to make sense but when it did, Eunhyuk felt himself deflate. Likely, they would have come here to investigate, if nothing else… "I see," he sighed, feeling turmoil inside of him.

"They were a horse patrol," Hangeng stated, as if that was supposed to have some significance.

"And what does that mean?" Summer snapped. Every patrol that they had come across had tried to harm them in some way. This one could be no different.

Sang Kyu waved at the scout and had to remind himself that they had not been outside the monastery long. "Typically, only the Imperial guard ride from Lornhaldt. Smaller patrols might gain horses for longer circuits but the fact that you were trailed by such from the capitol…" He let the words trail off.

"You have two possibilities. Enrhyll," Hangeng immediately cringed at the word usage when Sang Kyu shot him a look, but pressed on, "wants you dead or he wants you caught alive."

Neither option was comforting but the latter was far more confusing than anything else. Up to this point, his focus had been their demise, or so they had thought, if the constructs and the patrols their group had come across were any indication. On more than one occasion, Enrhyll had come very close to succeeding in the former. Why would he change his mind now? Baffled by the possibility, both Summer and Eunhyuk frowned in thought and looked away, each trying to puzzle it out for themselves.

Though neither option was good, Eunhyuk was the first to brighten at the prospect of the latter possibility. At Summer's confused and uncertain look, he explained, "If they're captured, then at least that means they're still alive."

Summer pressed her hands together and brought her fingers to rest against her mouth, thoughtful and hopeful and worried… "And if they're captured, then we know where they'll be going next."

"Exactly!" Eunhyuk smiled. If it was perhaps a bit forced, she didn't comment on it and he didn't enlighten her.

Their thoughts were interrupted by Sang Kyu who cleared his throat firmly and drew their attention. "So you still intend to go to the capitol. Just the two of you?" he asked pointedly, his face free of emotion. Hangeng at least seemed surprised and very confused.

"Yes," they answered in unison, quite serious. "If that is where our friends will be taken, then that is where we will go," Eunhyuk stated simply. There was no question in his mind about that simple fact. He was relatively certain that Kharin would be able to avoid capture, so long as she was conscious and not too badly injured, but the others…

As his response brought nothing from her father, Summer looked at him blandly and firmed her gaze, "You can either help us in this or continue to pretend you have any control in what Enrhyll already thinks about our family." Both Hangeng and Eunhyuk had the grace to flinch as they cast nervous glances between the father and daughter.

Now Sang Kyu frowned, a dour expression, but it did not seem to faze Summer in the least. "And what would you know, _daughter_, about anything in our family?" he demanded, his voice like steel.

Summer bristled at the question. She knew next to nothing about the Silverbergs, save what she had been told and what was known of them in general and he knew that. Her expression darkened and she clenched her hands into fists, "I know that _you _gave me up and sent me away." That hit home and his mask cracked just a bit as his eyes twitched slightly. "And I know that of my whole family, _I_ am the only one in it trying to do anything. And you won't help me!" she spat, her face flushed and body tense.

"I will go now," Hangeng pointed at the door nervously, uncomfortable with being in the vicinity of a family feud. He departed before anyone could tell him otherwise and he did not miss Eunhyuk's gaze follow him, somewhat lost as it appeared he would rather not be in the middle of one either.

Sang Kyu's jaw clenched tightly as he eyed his daughter sternly. She was nothing like the children they had raised under their care, but he had not really expected her to be as such. Summer was no longer the little girl they had raised for the first five years of her life. The woman across from him now was a familiar stranger and he wasn't sure how much he liked that idea. Stiffly, he demanded, "And what would you have me do?"

Some of the fire left her eyes at the question as she had to honestly think about the answer. When nothing physical came to mind about what she would request or what he could do, she finally swallowed and glanced over at Eunhyuk, who shrugged as he didn't know either. Finally, she met her father's gaze again, after a tense silence, and she stated simply, "Support us. Believe in us." Her eyes dropped to her hands as she looked at her open palms uncertainly. "We have enough against us already. We don't need your doubts too…" When she heard no response, Summer looked back up again and she could not read the expression on her father's face. "Fine," she murmured before stepping over to grab hold of Eunhyuk's arm and started to pull him towards the door.

Baffled by the lack of reaction, Eunhyuk looked back at Sang Kyu while Summer steadily ignored him. She missed it, but the wind elementalist noticed the thoughtful look that crossed his face for just a second before he realized he was still under scrutiny. The blonde scratched his head as he tried to understand what that might mean but when comprehension failed, he simply allowed himself to be pulled into the main room again.

Hangeng was standing there with the rest of his scouts and, not entirely unsurprising, Amber was standing nearby, chatting with him. Summer scowled at the exchange as she noticed her sister was flirting most shamelessly with Hangeng and he was responding in turn, to the general amusement of his men. Amber noticed them first and her expression turned to one of unexpected surprise, though she had to know that they had been in the study the whole time. "Oh. Hello, Summer," she nodded, acknowledging her sister politely. "Eunhyuk," she added to the elementalist, to both of their surprise.

Thrown by the sudden change in her behavior, some of the irritation faded and Summer responded, "Amber."

"Hangeng was being gracious enough to explain to me the mission that he was just on," she explained happily, to the scout's chagrin. "I'm sorry to hear about your friends," she offered sympathetically, a statement the other two were hard pressed to believe.

"You shouldn't be," Eunhyuk stated from behind Summer as he stepped up beside her. "We're going to go find them."

Amber started to laugh at the jest before she realized he was completely serious. A glance at Hangeng showed that he had known the statement was true the whole time. Quickly, she tried to mask her social misstep with concern, "But you're still injured." She gestured primarily at Eunhyuk but she knew that Summer wasn't entirely healed either.

Wordlessly, Eunhyuk raised his left hand up and summoned a compact ball of wind into it. Unlike most of his summonings, this one took on a very wispy form so that they could all see the barest outlines of the shifting winds gathered in his palm. Summer waited until all eyes had turned to him before she reached out and quenched the power easily before she eyed her sister again. "And still more than capable of traveling."

"So it would seem," Hangeng chuckled and nodded once with a glance at his men. "Come on, men. We must saw to the horses," he stated with a wave as he started to head out. He didn't miss Amber's pretty pout as he left, nor the amusement of his men, which told him he had said something off again, but they knew what he meant. That was enough for him.

When they had left out the front door, Amber rounded on the pair again and frowned, back to being her haughty, spoiled self. "Why do you just keep stirring up trouble?" she demanded of her sister with a practiced glare.

Summer snorted, much more comfortable with this side of her sister than the false polite one she had just seen. "Because no one else here is." She crossed her arms aggressively in front of her and raised a brow at her sister.

Amber frowned and grumbled, "Ugh. You are so barbaric. You've upset mother _and _father and now you've scared off Hangeng," she pouted now, actually sad to have seen him leave. Since Enrhyll had risen to power, she had not been back to court and her exposure to the company she was used to keeping had been much reduced.

Eunhyuk recalled something her other sister had said about Amber at court and he took a small step forward. "All we want to do is get to the capitol which you should want too, so you can go back to the palace courts," he explained.

She perked right up at that statement. "Really?" she started before she reeled herself back and tried to pretend to being vaguely interested.

"Really," Summer nodded, unfolding her arms.

Briefly, her sister looked between the two as if weighing their words and then she finally nodded to herself and raised a hand up, index finger extended, "You will never get there on foot or even through the gates looking like that." She didn't sneer, but it was close.

With an effort, Summer kept hold of her tongue and Eunhyuk only looked down at his garb in confusion. He didn't see anything wrong with it. "Why not?" he asked for them both.

Amber sighed and shook her head, her expression one of pleading patience. "Never mind," she waved and sighed before she turned her back on them and gazed at the door as she thought out loud. "I have an idea but they're late…" she murmured under her breath.

"Who?" Summer asked immediately.

"My music and dance instructors," Amber explained as she twirled around again, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Huh?" Eunhyuk turned his head to the side in confusion. Like Summer, he had no idea why they would be in the least bit helpful.

She regarded them with a look of utter disbelief and disappointment. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of the traveling minstrels Henry and Zhou Mi?" she asked in exasperation. "Now they can get into the capitol with no trouble," she grinned, already back to daydreaming about them again.

Summer and Eunhyuk were already ignoring her. Henry and Zhou Mi were heading here? They looked at each other and couldn't help but start laughing to Amber's relative alarm and confusion. "We know them," Eunhyuk assured her after they took a moment to recover.

At the admission, she seemed a little put out by their answer and finally shrugged. "Well then. They're scheduled to arrive any day now. Their regular circuit brings them here a few times a year. Father convinced them to keep coming back to give us lessons. Really, they're more for Sage and Autumn, the poor dears," she laughed delicately behind her hand.

It seemed she was about to launch into further detail but was curtailed by the appearance of Myung Hee and Autumn. Mi Cha was following along behind them quietly but she did glance over at the door of the study curiously. While she didn't know what had transpired in the study, Myung Hee was aware the patrol had returned without the other elementalists and that Sang Kyu was still in the study. Instead of bombarding them with questions she knew would be answered in time, she smiled politely at the three. "There you are. Would you be so kind as to join me for the afternoon meal?" she asked, gesturing at the dining hall door.

Having forgotten about the time of day in the excitement, the duo realized with a start that they were quite hungry, despite the tension that still sat heavily in their stomachs. "Thank you, mother," Summer bowed slightly, a response that still made her mother's mouth quirk up at the inappropriate gesture. Eunhyuk's bow was completely acceptable, however.

The afternoon meal was a somewhat subdued event but at least the general small talk of Myung Hee with Autumn helped to alleviate the tension in the air. It was hard to remain knotted with worry when they spoke of such mundane things as the latest fashions, which they acknowledged were already out of date by the time they heard about them, and the latest gossip from court, which they had obviously been over before. Not entirely unsurprising, Amber excused herself early, almost bumping into Sage on his way in, a shrewd look on her face.

In a tumbled blur of thoughts and emotions, the rest of the day passed by quickly for Summer and Eunhyuk. They were surprised indeed when later in the day, after the evening meal, another interesting affair where Sang Kyu was still absent, Hangeng rushed inside from the front door, a large grin on his face. Summer and Eunhyuk had taken residence in the lounge area and Myung Hee, Sage and Autumn had joined them to keep them company, the youngest doing so reluctantly. Hangeng's hair had been plastered back as if he'd ridden hard for at least a decent time, but he was exuberant. "Henry and Zhou Mi have come!"

* * *

><p>The rest of the day that they rode and the next day as well, were bleak and rushed. Eleanara and Kyuhyun remained bound and blindfolded and the only good thing was that they were kept together, largely as a warning to keep the fire elementalist under control. For meals, they suffered the embarrassing indignity of being fed by hand, a fact they wanted to argue against more but were too hungry to care by that point. During the first day they had not been fed in the afternoon, though water had been parceled out as necessary.<p>

Kwan continued to keep Eleanara with him at all times and Tae Hyun was in charge of keeping Kyuhyun nearby so the two usually rode abreast of each other while the other four horses clumped behind nervously. They weren't entirely positive the fire elementalist was subdued as he had seemed as much before and had still managed to nearly destroy them. The possibility of finding the other elementalists was nearly forgotten as they made a mad rush to the capitol, desperate to keep anything else from happening.

While Eleanara became even more quiet and withdrawn from the ordeal, Kyuhyun at least maintained some of his spark. The morning of the second day, after an uncomfortable night of sleeping on the floor, he remained irritable. When being fed, he was feeling particularly morbid and caustic from his captivity and subsequent lack of visibility. Unsure of who was feeding him, he growled, "If you had just left us alone, none of this would have happened and your friends would still be alive."

It was an entirely true statement but his listener was not in a patient mood. "Shut your mouth," the man stated severely before Kyuhyun felt a fist connect with his jaw hard.

Unprepared for the attack, the fire elementalist was knocked over from where he knelt on the ground and hit the packed earth heavily, feeling his shoulder jar where it absorbed the majority of the impact. He grimaced in pain and curled in on himself, almost regretting the words. Vaguely, he heard Eleanara, "Leave him alone!" as her clothes rustled when she awkwardly pushed herself to her feet.

"He-Sung!" Kwan snapped at the offending patrolman as he set the bowl of food aside and pushed Eleanara gently but firmly back down to the ground. "Stand down," the captain commanded, at which point He-Sung grumbled and slowly walked off, the armor clanking lightly as he did so. Kwan walked over and reached down to grab the front of Kyuhyun's shirt in one hand before hauling him upright. "Keep quiet," he instructed forcefully, his words terse and clipped.

"Why?" Kyuhyun grumbled, shifting uncomfortably on his knees.

"Because I can't protect you from them all the time," he explained quietly, actually concerned for his life. With the latest development, he was partially concerned one of his men would want revenge for what they considered murder. His task had been to bring them back alive and while some foul treatment he expected, he had to keep an even tighter leash on all of them than he preferred.

"And why should you care at all?" the young man retorted, teeth bared in a grimace.

"That is no concern of yours." Before he could retort or ask another question, Kwan stuffed a spoonful of food into his mouth, forcing him to chew or choke. Kyuhyun chose the former but it was obvious he didn't like it.

The rest of the morning meal was spent with them finishing up and packing the much reduced supplies up. The two pack horses had been incinerated with everything else so they only had a few of their usual amenities which made for a short preparation time. Kwan had actually had to take one of the tents from his men and share it with the two elementalists, a prospect that had made him nervous but he trusted no one else to do so.

Not long after being fed, they were hefted to the back of a horse again, a position they were beginning to loathe as it had made walking difficult for Kyuhyun when Eleanara was not given the chance to come in contact with him. Even she could only alleviate the worst of it since soreness was not something she could banish entirely and her steps were a bit shorter than usual too.

As far as they could tell, the rest of the day was spent in hard riding. Their pace did not change much, remaining a constant but smooth canter or when Kwan felt the need, a harder more jarring gallop that sent the wind rushing past them. They paused some time later and were given water and a very brief chance to stretch their legs before the pair was hauled back onto the horses and off they went again.

Alarmingly, the next time they slowed down, they could both feel a shift in the air around them. The attitude of the men had changed and there was a certain tension in them that made the elementalists nervous. Other sounds started to reach their ears as it sounded as if there were other people on the road. Voices floated by, indistinct and murmuring, but none of them were the familiar intonations of the patrolmen they had been traveling with.

Kwan leaned closer to Eleanara's ear and spoke quietly, "We are almost there. The gates of Lornhaldt are ahead," he told her, an announcement that sent chills up her spine and her stomach dropping like a stone. Her already pale complexion whitened further and Kwan looped an arm in front of her to steady her, a sensation she did not care for. Kwan nudged the horse into a fast walk and called ahead, "Make way for the Imperial guard!"

Kyuhyun heard the announcement with a sense of dread. The only reason Kwan would be saying that now was because they had arrived… Carefully, he tried to filter out the sounds that came to him and among the indistinct mass of voices, he could hear questions and exclamations. More faint but rising above the general commotion of sound was the voices of those selling their wares as they called out specific goods and prices. "Oh no…" he breathed, feeling a shadow fall over him that had nothing to do with the rising walls of the city and the gates.

As they had originally intended, they had made it to the capitol city of Lornhaldt, but the two were alone and held captive. Neither knew if anyone other than Kharin and Leeteuk had survived and now they would meet Enrhyll by themselves. They were not ready for that encounter…

* * *

><p>They had not been traveling for too long after the patrol when both Kharin and Leeteuk noticed the smoke rising from the path ahead of them. Immediately, they both glanced at each other and forced themselves to hurry faster. That was no camp fire smoke they saw and they were further alarmed when they spotted a single lone horse following the river. As far as Kharin could see, it looked like one from the patrol based on the gear and appearance, but it was obviously injured and spooked.<p>

Briefly, they debated about trying to retrieve it for their benefit but neither knew how to ride and even just the thought of trying to get Leeteuk up on the creature was shudder inducing. As they approached the main road, finally leaving the cover of the trees, they noticed the large area of scorched earth first and only when they had made it almost to the area itself did they notice the piles of burnt ash and blackened bones. The stench was horrible as the lingering smell of burnt hair and flesh plagued the air, making their eyes water and their noses burn.

"Kyuhyun," Leeteuk stated simply, eyeing the one clear circle in the center with intense interest.

"What did he do?" Kharin asked, a faintly horrified expression on her face.

"I have no idea," her companion responded looking troubled. "Do you think his control has been lacking too?"

Mutely, she nodded in response. She remembered how he had felt when he had killed those men in the patrol the first time they fought. This did not seem like something he would have focused on achieving. Even with as angry as she'd been at their being cornered, she hadn't wanted to kill the patrol… "Look," she pointed towards the front of the circle and hurried around the smoking piles in her way, pointedly not looking at them.

Leeteuk followed quickly, fighting the beginnings of nausea as the smell finally started to get to him. He noticed what Kharin was pointing at almost immediately. At the outermost edge of the blackened earth was another clear spot more oblong in shape. "Eleanara's barrier," he murmured quietly before he carefully knelt down in the clear spot and placed his hand on the earth, hesitant and trembling.

"He can't have known what he was doing," Kharin shook her head and stared at the circle again. They did not miss the significance that she had needed to put up a barrier to protect herself.

"Dammit!" Leeteuk growled as he hit the ground with his closed fist. He felt so powerless and there was nothing he could do about it right now. Abruptly, he stood up and stared at the road ahead. There was nothing left to see anymore as the patrol had moved on already, but that did not stop him from wishing he could catch a glimpse.

Kharin stepped close and put a hand on his shoulder, reassuring and understanding. "At least we know they're alive."

Leeteuk struggled with a response, but nothing came to him. He didn't just want them alive… He wanted them to be here, with him and Kharin, safe and unharmed. At last, he forced himself to take a deep breath and look over at her. She had at least managed a half-smile; he could do no less. "You're right," he nodded once. "Let's go. We've still got a lot of ground to cover."

The shadow elementalist sighed but agreed, not inclined to argue. She waited for him to start moving and then followed along beside him. Their initial burst of desperate energy had faded some but they were still anxious to make progress. Determinedly, the pair set off again, sticking to the road this time. With the remnants of the patrol behind them, they doubted very much they needed to worry about whoever might be left. Especially with their lack of control, it would be folly for such a small group to even attempt to approach them.

Through the rest of the day, they traveled with as much haste as they could muster, battling hunger and quenching their thirst at the water's edge when the need drove them to. It was not hard to tell that traveling in the injured state they were, with a lack of food, was slowing down their progress as they combated fatigue and their own weariness. The drain on their bodies from the constant worry and fear could not be dismissed either. Corley Port continued to remain an unattainable destination in the distance and grew in size most stubbornly, a beacon they were beginning to give up on.

They were so focused on that being their goal that, in the darkening hours of the day, when everything started to grow dim, they very nearly missed the little cabin nestled against the woods off the main road. Slightly more aware than her pain plagued companion, Kharin squinted at it and rubbed her eyes, certain she was seeing things. "Teuk," she murmured, reaching out to tap his shoulder and point at the cabin as she stopped hesitantly.

He pulled up tiredly and strained to see what she was looking at. Both of their eyes widened as they saw a gentle light bloom within the structure through the partially open window. Wordlessly, they turned to it automatically, drawn by the light as a moth was to a flame.

* * *

><p>Still bone tired but otherwise conscious now, Siwon had taken the opportunity to sit up in bed, alternately flexing one leg out and then the other as he hung them over the side. Eun Mi kept an eye on him while he did so but was otherwise quiet. The afternoon had been very subdued in general and the only point of interest had been a strange bit of smoke they had seen up the main road. They hadn't noticed it until later in the afternoon though and had no idea how long it had been there for.<p>

Siwon had taken a moment to look into the scrying bowl then, just to make sure. Little had changed. Kyuhyun and Eleanara were still riding, now a bit closer together and he thought that Kyuhyun's rider had changed, but from his vantage, they were still in the same predicament. Kharin and Leeteuk were walking again and while they seemed more determined, their status had not changed either. Summer and Eunhyuk had shifted to a different room and were talking with three other persons. It still made him smile to know that at least they were doing well.

"I'll go take a look tomorrow," Yong-Soo offered, acknowledging he was just as curious as they were.

Eun Mi nodded and Siwon just shrugged. Since his friends weren't directly related to it, he had pretty much already dismissed it. Slowly, the water elementalist took another sip of the tea she had given him, sighing over the third cup today. "Can I try walking tomorrow?" he finally asked her over the rim as he blew on it to cool it down.

"We'll see how you feel tomorrow," she answered without looking up from her work at the table. This time, she had a very sharp vegetable knife she was using to dice a handful of herbs into fine pieces. She glanced around as she noticed the light inside was beginning to grow dim. "Would you mind lighting the lantern, Soo?" she asked offhandedly as she squinted at her hands, taking extra care not to cut herself.

Yong-Soo looked up from where he was tending the fire and shrugged. "Sure." Easily, he took a starter piece of wood and lit it in the fireplace before carrying it over to the lantern hanging in the center of the room, well away from any of the hanging dried herbs. The flame was protected by a slightly warped glass container, but they did not think they could be too careful, all things considered.

"Much better. Thank you," Eun Mi smiled as she looked up, taking a moment to push the strand of hair away from her face with the side of her hand. Content with her project, she wiped off the blade and scraped the herbs together with her hands, storing them in a cloth sack for easy access later. Easily, she opened the downstairs door and disappeared below, carrying her finished product with her. "What are we doing for dinner?" she called out, peering up from the bottom of the stairs as she waited for Yong-Soo to answer.

"Eh… Stew," he responded before she saw him look over the top and down at her. "I didn't find much today," he shrugged in apology. When hunting was good, they could have more of a meat meal, but he had only managed to snare two rabbits today. He wished he'd come across a sow or even a deer. They were skittish though and hard to catch unawares, especially when he was just looking and not specifically tracking one.

Eun Mi shrugged at the answer. There were so many things she could add to it, stew never really got boring for her. Quickly, she looked through their stores, picking out a few herbs here and there, before she grabbed an armful of various root vegetables and some of the dried mushrooms they kept before returning up top. Yong-Soo lowered the door behind politely and then returned to the fire, stoking it to make sure the coals were hot enough.

Siwon leaned back to watch, finishing the last of his tea in a large gulp, and sighed. He perked up considerably when he heard a knock at the door and a masculine voice filtered through, "Hello?" as Eun Mi and Yong-Soo were settling down to prepare their food. Warily, the latter looked at the other two and motioned for them to stay put as Eun Mi moved over to position herself in front of Siwon, attempting to hide him from obvious sight. Annoyed, the water elementalist peered around her anyway, his heart starting to race. That voice had sounded familiar.

Standing in the doorway, Yong-Soo pulled the door open inward and looked at the two who stood in the light that spilled out around him. "Hello?" he started to say before the obvious injuries caught his attention and he stepped back immediately, calling out, "Eun Mi!"

In an instant, she was heading to the door and as her cousin stepped aside, she saw a young man and woman leaning on each other. They were looking over her shoulder, as both were slightly taller than her, in stunned disbelief. For just an instant, time seemed to stop as everyone froze in various states of surprise. She pivoted to look back at Siwon and he gasped, "Kharin! Leeteuk!"

"Siwon!" they cried in unison, a mixture of joy and relief on their weary faces.

Eun Mi bolted back to Siwon's side as he lurched to his feet, grimacing at the pain he felt but disregarding it completely. She caught him around the waist as he wobbled and held him steady while the other two flocked towards him, Leeteuk hopping awkwardly with Kharin's help as he had dismissed the crutches outside. Abruptly, Siwon was enveloped in their arms as he threw his limbs around them both. "You're alive!" Leeteuk cried, tears streaming down his face at the relief he felt at knowing that fact. He leaned on both Siwon and Kharin for support but he gripped the other man tightly, and pressed his forehead to Siwon's in quiet joy.

"Thank the gods," Kharin breathed as she buried her face against his shoulder and clung to him fiercely, all injuries temporarily forgotten.

Siwon felt Eun Mi escape the circle and held to the other two tighter. It hurt to hold them so close but at that moment, he did not care. They had made it to him and were here and he could touch them and he simply did not have the words to describe his elation. Even he succumbed to the tears he had held back for fear that if he started he might never stop.

It could have been mere seconds or an eternity that they held to each other, as tears stained their clothes and their breathing finally returned to normal. The intense elation of finding each other slowly wore off, leaving them weary and exhausted but still intensely happy. None of them could stop smiling and they all seemed reluctant to step back; Leeteuk was actually incapable of doing so without putting weight on his broken ankle, something he was rightfully hesitant to do. It was the sound of Eun Mi and Yong-Soo moving around that actually prompted them to shift so they could regard their new hosts.

The trio spread out from each other, with Siwon in the middle, and though they were not embracing, they still maintained tentative contact. Kharin held Siwon's hand in hers and Leeteuk kept his hand on the taller man's shoulder, serving the dual role of support both physically and emotionally, though he needed the assistance in standing as much as the other. "Forgive us," Siwon laughed as he blinked tears out of his eyes.

Kharin and Leeteuk looked over at his remark and then glanced over at the two strangers. "It's alright," the young woman soothed, bowing at the trio. "I'm Eun Mi and this is my cousin Yong-Soo," she explained in a calm tone of voice.

Siwon answered for the pair quickly, "These are my friends, Kharin and Leeteuk. They're the ones that were making their way along the forest," he explained.

"You saw us?" Kharin marveled briefly, looking at Leeteuk.

"You were scrying!" he surmised with a giddy grin. "Then you've seen the others?" he asked, his expression suddenly intense.

"Yes. They're alive," he assured them both. "All of them."

"Oh thank goodness," Kharin exhaled swiftly, elated by the news. She had held to the hope but having confirmation that Eunhyuk and Summer were well too, lifted a weight she hadn't realized she had been carrying.

Before further questions could be asked, Eun Mi stepped up closer, a little uncertain by the proximity and condition of three elementalists now. "Please," she interjected, opening her hands wide. The healer in her dictated that she needed to assess the extent of their injuries now and she could tell by their pallor that they were dehydrated and probably quite hungry as well. "You have plenty of time to talk but perhaps you might have a seat?" she offered, looking pointedly at Siwon who grinned sheepishly, hiding the pain he was in from standing so abruptly with some effort.

Only when his condition was called to attention did the obviously injured pair take note that the stolid Siwon was more hurt than he was letting on. Kharin and Leeteuk both scowled, expressions that didn't quite lose the happiness they were still radiating. Fortunately, he had not made it more than a step from the cot when they had rushed in and while Leeteuk hopped out of the way, Kharin helped Siwon to sit back down. On impulse, she sat down next to him and seeing them like that, Leeteuk followed suit, partially falling onto the comfortable structure and glancing down uncertainly when the cot creaked.

"It'll hold," Yong-Soo assured them from next to his cousin. "Here," he offered, handing over a waterskin for the three. He and Eun Mi hid grins when the newcomer's eyes lit up at the sight of it. Leeteuk refused to drink before Kharin and she grumbled at his polite behavior when he was worse off but took her share and then handed it back.

"We were just making dinner if you would care to join us?" Eun Mi prompted openly, catching the trio on the bed with her eyes. They were polite enough not to jump at the bit but it was obvious they were nigh on ravenous.

"We would," Leeteuk volunteered, a slightly guarded expression on his face as he started to ask some of the questions in his mind that Siwon had when he had been found. He glanced at Kharin and could see that she was wondering too. The fact that Siwon was here carried a great deal of weight but with what they had faced so far, it did not eliminate all suspicion just like that.

It wasn't hard to read the wariness in their faces and Eun Mi smiled. "Perhaps you would care to fill them in?" she asked of the water elementalist with a quirked brow before she turned around and focused on preparing the root vegetables. "Here," she handed the mushrooms to Yong-Soo who put them in the pot to start to soak.

As they took the time to start their dinner, Siwon explained all that had happened since he had been washed down the river, including how he thought he should have drowned but didn't. He detailed how Eun Mi had found him and brought him back; how she had treated his wounds and cared for him in the meantime with the help of her cousin. They eyed him speculatively at that part but refrained from saying anything to his relief, though he felt his ears grow warm at their continued scrutiny. His explanation on learning to scry diverted them for a bit, if nothing else.

He had to slow down some when he got to the part about Yong-Soo and Eun Mi being from the Order of the Elements and he had to stop entirely when they learned she was Enrhyll's half-sister. It took them a moment to come to terms with that and even when Yong-Soo showed the symbol that was originally theirs, they were hard pressed to remain calm. Siwon had to remind them they had seen the symbol with Summer and on Sinrielle in the monastery, at which point they finally did relax, if a bit reluctantly.

Siwon also explained Eun Mi's presence out here and her role with her mother's shop in Corley Port. With some embarrassment, he detailed his disastrous attempt at getting better faster and then looked over his companions pointedly. It was clear they were going to need some sort of treatment as well.

When Siwon was finished speaking, Kharin and Leeteuk leaned back and took a moment to go over everything they had just been told. It was a lot to take in all at one time, even if he did give them an abbreviated version. Still, it took him long enough to explain everything so that the stew was ready by the time he was done.

Thoroughly distracted by the smell of food after having none since the day before, Kharin and Leeteuk had a very difficult time focusing for long on their thoughts. They didn't have very many bowls, but Eun Mi and Yong-Soo gave up theirs for now so the elementalists could eat first. "Slowly," she warned gently as she handed two bowls to the newest pair.

With a great deal of self-control, both Kharin and Leeteuk accepted the bowls politely and couldn't help but shovel the first bite into their mouths, swallowing hastily as it was still hot. "Easy," Siwon laughed as he pat Leeteuk on the back when he started coughing. Leeteuk grinned sheepishly, eyes teary from the heat, and tried again with considerably more success. Siwon accepted the third bowl from Eun Mi with a bit more grace and watched his friends out of the corners of his eyes as he ate with them.

While they were taking care of themselves, Eun Mi observed them with a critical gaze. Siwon she had already treated as much as she could for now, but his companions were in desperate need of care. She was considerably worried about what appeared to be a broken ankle on Leeteuk and Kharin seemed to be favoring her left side. Both had obvious bruising she could see through the tears in their clothes and on their arms and she would wager that they were close to exhausted, even if they weren't showing it yet.

She waited to say anything until they were finished eating though and instead busied herself with going downstairs, a surprise that startled them briefly, to retrieve various supplies she thought she would need. While she rummaged, she also managed to find a pair of clothes for Kharin and Leeteuk. Eun Mi was a bit smaller than the other woman, but most of her clothes were a bit larger than they needed to be and Yong-Soo was a bit taller than Leeteuk so that shouldn't be a problem either.

When she returned, Yong-Soo had started to eat a bowl of stew and the three on the cot were sharing a waterskin again, talking quietly. Their conversation died down when Eun Mi appeared and they looked at her with focused attention. "Siwon has been telling us that you are good with injuries," Leeteuk started awkwardly, uncertain where to begin really as he glanced hesitantly at his ankle.

"I have had some practice," she agreed with a smile.

Yong-Soo snorted in amusement at her response but waved at Kharin and Leeteuk in assurance. "Don't let her fool you," he chuckled. "She's been doing this almost as long as she could walk. Almost," he winked, grinning mischievously at her annoyed glance. The trio couldn't help but smile at the interaction and both Kharin and Leeteuk felt some of the tension slip from them at the light hearted assurance.

Eun Mi carefully set her supplies on the table and leveled her attention on Leeteuk first, an expression that made him slightly nervous. "Well. Let's have a look at you," she stated calmly before she pulled the chair up closer. The quarters were a bit more cramped than she was used to, but she was not unused to working with what she had. Over the course of the evening, she assessed the extent of both Kharin and Leeteuk's injuries. She exhausted most of her regular first aid supplies on the pair, but wasn't too concerned as she always had extra for emergencies. A large amount of the healing salve she had would have to be replaced, but overall she was content with its use.

For the sake of privacy, she had gone downstairs with Kharin to address her more hidden injuries while Yong-Soo assisted Leeteuk on the cot. It was a good opportunity for the pair to try on the new clothes too. As expected, Kharin's pants were a little bit snug, but the shirt was big enough, if nothing else. Nor could the shadow elementalist complain when her aching side was finally numbed by whatever it was that Eun Mi used, and then bound securely, giving her support she hadn't realized would make such a difference. "Nothing broken, but you certainly came close," she assured the rather stoic young woman.

"I wish I could say the same for Leeteuk," Kharin sighed, shaking her head slightly at the misfortune. Without Eleanara, their wounds were subject to heal naturally with time, and breaks just didn't get better overnight.

Eun Mi agreed quietly and then tilted her head to the side as she listened to the sounds above. When it seemed as if things were clear, they returned and she finally sat herself in front of Leeteuk again, ready to tackle the ankle. The clothes were a bit large on him, but at least they were whole and clean. She had wanted some relief for him before she started messing with something as nasty as a break. While Kharin took another chair to give them more room to work, the healer unwound the hasty wrappings and removed the makeshift brace, her expression neutral as the action made Leeteuk wince.

A slight frown crossed her face and she sighed, "Sloppy…"

Kharin bristled at the word. "Hey! I wasn't trained for any of that," she grumbled irritably.

"I can see," Eun Mi answered dryly, her gaze still focused on the swollen, black and blue limb.

"I did the best I could, alright?" she muttered before crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the healer.

"You're lucky you didn't do more damage," she murmured in return, reaching back to the table for a cleaning cloth and catching sight of the angry look in Kharin's eyes. She met the gaze evenly before Yong-Soo smacked her in the back of her head, startling her and Kharin.

"Stop being a brat," he chided and chuckled when she looked slightly abashed.

When she turned her attention to the mangled limb, she was pierced by Leeteuk's gaze as he waited for her to meet his eyes. "We did the best we could, given the circumstances," he stated evenly, his face neutral despite the situation. Of all of them, Siwon seemed the most distressed by the reactions in the room, but he had no idea what to say just then and remained uncomfortably quiet.

Eun Mi finally looked away from the earth elementalist's gaze and took a deep breath, reminding herself that general first aide was not something that everyone learned as she had. Granted, her training had been extensive but it was something she often forgot for others. She finished cleaning the wound so she could apply some of the healing salve and took her time in wrapping it with clean, fresh gauze. It took her a little while, but when she was satisfied with that, she swallowed her pride and looked back at a still miffed Kharin. "For what you were taught, or lack thereof…you did well," she admitted stiffly before focusing on the ankle and applying a more solid splint, wrapped with sturdier strips and tied firmly, but not tight enough to interfere with blood flow.

Reluctantly, Kharin unfolded her arms and glanced at Siwon who was nodding subtly at Eun Mi and gesturing unhelpfully. She gave him an annoyed glare and then rolled her eyes before saying quietly, "Thank you."

She missed the small, pleasantly surprised smile that spread across Eun Mi's face but both Leeteuk and Siwon responded in turn. While she finished making sure her patients were well taken care of, Yong-Soo hurried downstairs to retrieve a couple extra blankets. Bed space was limited but the floor slept remarkably well when one was tired. By mutual agreement, Siwon was forced to accept the bed again while the others agreed to sleep on the floor, two and two on the blankets. There were still plenty of questions they all had, but the combination of food, shelter, care and the element of just feeling even relatively safe for the first time in days, was more than enough to send the elementalists to sleep sooner than they anticipated.

While the others wound down, Eun Mi finally took the opportunity to quietly eat a bowl of tepid stew in the dim light of a candle. They had blown the lantern out to cut down on the light so the others would sleep better. Her mind worked furiously as she watched the sleepers. She had never thought she'd ever see real Elementalists and here she had three of them under her care in her cabin. Wouldn't her mother be surprised? And they were eager to be heading on too. By force of will and determination, Kharin and Leeteuk had made it this far, even as badly injured as they were, and she had no doubt they'd somehow manage to get Siwon up and about too. The thought made her somewhat sad…she didn't really want him to go just yet. Not only that, but she knew they needed more time to heal. No matter how good they might have felt tonight, they were not better yet.

She felt a headache start to come on and rubbed her temple with her fingers, a restless sigh escaping her. From what she knew of Siwon and what he had told them about his friends, they were determined to get to the capitol where they were equally set upon fighting Enrhyll. She knew they were the only ones even capable of having a chance of defeating him…but the chance was equally high that they would be hurt, or worse…die. Neither prospect appealed to her. She jerked upright when she felt someone nudge her foot.

"Stop thinking so much, Eun," Yong-Soo spoke quietly as he looked up at her from the floor, his head cradled on one arm. "Get some sleep."

Reluctantly, she pushed the empty bowl of food away and took a deep breath. "I'm worried," she finally admitted as she crawled onto the floor beside him, lying on her side so that she could see him better.

"I know," he told her quietly as he reached out his free hand to lay it gently on the side of her head, a comforting, brotherly gesture. "You'll think better in the morning," he assured her, giving her a confident grin.

"I hope so," she laughed lightly, curling up into a loose ball before closing her eyes and slipping easily into sleep. Yong-Soo finally relaxed his smile and sat up to blow out the candle. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.


	29. Chapter 29

As soon as Hangeng announced that Henry and Zhou Mi were coming, Amber appeared as if out of nowhere, and both her and Autumn looked giddy at the news. Summer and Eunhyuk stood up quickly and stared at the doorway around the scout, amused by the reaction of the girls but otherwise focused. They heard a general commotion outside as the voices of the scouts, who didn't follow Hangeng indoors, greeted the minstrels boisterously.

The elementalists waited with baited breath until they saw the doors open and the familiar, wonderful figures of Henry and Zhou Mi stepped inside with a theatrical flourish. They were very good at hiding their surprise at seeing the two as they maintained their expressions as if they were performing, focusing on the two girls who flocked towards them. Ever the gentleman, Zhou Mi bowed graciously and his were the first words, "Ladies! You look more radiant every time we see you."

If they giggled at Zhou Mi's greeting, they shrieked in delight at Henry's. "Surely you jest sir? Stunning is far more appropriate," he winked at the girls, a mischievous grin on his face.

They politely but still possessively clung to either of his arms, to both of the minstrels' amusement. "Why were you late?" Amber demanded with a pretty pout on her delicate face.

While Eunhyuk and Summer hid their smiles behind their hands, an unflappable Zhou Mi answered that question. "My dear ladies. We would have been sooner but for the bridge being out," he bowed in apology, glancing over at the two standing in the back with a curious expression before smoothing it out quickly.

"You came the back way didn't you?" Autumn asked excitedly, certain she was correct. Her question seemed to annoy Amber as the older sister had little idea as to what she was talking about.

"Yep," Henry nodded with a smile. "The way's a bit rougher and far less repaired but Lute's a surprisingly steady creature," he laughed, amused when he caught a glimpse of Sage blurring past him to go see the mare. For all that the boy didn't really like horses, he was fascinated by Lute and usually spent at least some time in doting on her and chastising the minstrels for their poor treatment of her. Either he actually liked the horse or it was a very clever excuse to get near the cart and all their gear; including any other neat things they may have been given or come across.

Myung Hee finally took the opportunity to rescue the poor guests from her daughters and stepped up, "Girls. Don't you think they've had a long trip? Why don't you let them get settled in and then we can greet them properly."

The two sisters glared at each other until Amber plastered on a smile again and released Henry's arm with a semi-bored expression. "Coming mother," she called before gliding over to Myung Hee without another backward glance, the perfect picture of practiced poise.

Autumn's eye twitched as she watched her sister depart but then offered a considerably warmer smile at the minstrels. "Forgive me," she pleaded warmly before releasing Henry's arm and curtsying to both of them politely. "Please, make yourselves at home," she gestured to the manor as a whole and watched the smiles light up their faces at the courtesy.

Despite Amber's well concealed consternation, Myung Hee seemed pleased by the reaction and smiled gently at Autumn as she glided almost as gracefully as her sister to her side. "Gentlemen," she greeted. "The guest rooms are at your disposal and Oleric will undoubtedly see to your belongings."

"Thank you, lady Myung Hee," Zhou Mi bowed deeply while Henry shadowed him quickly.

With that, the older Silverberg woman curtsied politely and shepherded her daughters back to their rooms. A glance over her shoulder showed that the minstrels and the elementalists were looking at each other with some surprise.

When the room was finally cleared except for Hangeng, who continued to look on with interest, the four finally moved to each other, wanting to say so many things all at once but nothing came out. There was an awkward moment as they came to stand in front of each other and then Henry stepped forward and grabbed Summer up in a warm embrace. She started in surprise and then grinned broadly, happy for the welcome and the comfort the minstrels brought with their presence.

Zhou Mi reached out to shake hands with a smiling Eunhyuk and then they traded off. Summer stole a hug from Mimi this time and he laughed at the exchange while his companion hugged Eunhyuk too, but lightly, seeing that he was still injured. "It looks as if trouble found you after we parted ways," Mimi observed quietly, his expression open but thoughtful.

"You could say that," Eunhyuk sighed with a glance at Summer.

"How did you guys make it across the bridge? And where are the others?" Henry asked, looking around curiously for the rest of their group.

Hangeng joined in suddenly with a broad grin, "Now that is a story worth telling." He strolled up to the four and tipped his head at the minstrels. "The Elementalists destroyed it. Quite by accident I assure you," he nodded sagely before he was set off balance by Summer when she shoved his shoulder in irritation.

"The construct destroyed the bridge. We just happened to be on it when it was destroyed," she corrected firmly, daring him to disagree.

"Wait," Henry gestured between the two. "You're Elementalists?"

"I knew there was something different about you," Mimi laughed, a mixture of amusement and chagrin that he hadn't been able to discern it sooner.

Eunhyuk shrugged and grinned in turn, "We're just two. We don't know where the others are, actually," he frowned, looking at Hangeng who flushed slightly at the attention.

"What?" he asked. "We tried to found them…"

"Hang on a minute," Mimi urged as he patted his person, searching for something to write on. "Oh, never mind," he waved after a moment when he remembered he'd left everything in the cart. "This sounds like quite a tale. Please," he gestured towards the lounge area and ushered the others to take a seat.

Hangeng jogged to the back corner where the kitchen was and yelled something inside. He got a negative response at first but when he mentioned Henry and Zhou Mi, the response was considerably more civil. Quite pleased with himself, he sauntered back to the group and threw himself down on a chair, lounging comfortably with his legs thrown over the arm as he settled in to listen.

The other four were much amused by his antics. At Henry and Zhou Mi's prompting, Summer and Eunhyuk were convinced to spin their tale again. Oh, of course they had related events to Summer's family but they had glossed over a great deal that had actually happened. For the sake of the minstrels, story tellers who might do them justice, they started at the beginning and told of how they had been given their power. Their journey down the mountain was still a blur in their mind but between the two of them, they were able to recall plenty enough to make a whole picture, including the avalanche, the snow wolves and the rest of their journey to civilization.

They told of Moorhall's generosity and subsequent destruction; of the first construct they faced and the first patrol they killed. The story progressed and paused when they reached Fairwinter as food had arrived by then. Zhou Mi begged a break as they were quite famished from their journey but they all nibbled on food while the elementalists were able to collect their thoughts to resume their telling. When the edge of their hunger had been sated, the minstrels leaned forward again, intensely attentive and they could see that Henry's fingers were tapping out the beginnings of a song as he played with what he had so far.

Summer and Eunhyuk continued down the path, past Mount Balaron and the horrible construct they had faced there. They faltered in their telling when they had to pick up the pieces from that battle when Siwon had been paralyzed and Eleanara gravely wounded, but were able to continue after only some trouble. The Farwell crossroads was another difficult place to speak of, considering the reactions of the people there, and their desperate attempt to flee. From there, it was easy enough to fill in the blanks from before they found the minstrels stuck in the road.

By general consensus, they glossed over their journey together and only when they had gotten to the part where they had faced the Angmer River did they have to pause again. If the rest of the journey had been hard to remember, that part was still terrifying, and having relived the entirety of their journey again, it was that much more real this time. The construct had been incredibly powerful, if only because it had the strength of the river behind it, and simply surviving had been a sufficiently difficult task once it had been unwoven, as Summer described it.

The minstrels were respectfully quiet as they told their tale and even Hangeng was rapt, transfixed by the story as it unfolded. Their final comment of the irritating farmer who had found them broke the tension over the group and made them all laugh, if a bit forced. The scout let out an appreciative whistle as he eyed the elementalists with new respect. "No wonder you is so mad at your father," he nodded, his expression serious.

"Oh?" Zhou Mi asked quietly, his interest piqued. Henry leaned closer to hear the answer too.

"He won't help us," Eunhyuk answered for her, knowing the answer was probably getting tiresome for her.

Annoyingly, Henry laughed, "Well what's he supposed to do?" He flushed, abashed when she glared at him.

Her gaze softened almost immediately though as she sighed, "I don't know."

"And you said the patrol has your friends?" Zhou Mi asked again for clarification.

"Maybe," Hangeng responded. "We did not saw them but the patrol was definitely looking."

The taller minstrel looked thoughtful for a moment. "And what is it you intend to do, lady Summer?" he asked the young woman specifically, his eyes intense.

Her response was immediate, "Go to the capitol. If they are captured, we intend to free them. One way or the other, we are going to beat Enrhyll," she told him fiercely, anger in her voice.

Despite her words, Zhou Mi's expression remained unchanged. In fact, he seemed deep in thought and Henry leaned around in front of him before waving a hand in front of his face. "Hello?" he asked curiously.

The taller minstrel blinked rapidly and then laughed. "My apologies. I was just thinking."

"What about?" Eunhyuk asked curiously, his head tilted to one side.

"Likely about how late it is," the tired voice of Sang Kyu broke in smoothly as he approached the group calmly, his arms loose at his sides and his expression neutral.

"Master Sang Kyu," Zhou Mi stood up abruptly and bowed, nudging Henry to follow suit.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Zhou Mi. Henry," he nodded his head politely, a genuine smile on his face, if a bit reserved. His eyes swept over the other three quickly and he laughed under his breath once. "Hangeng. I am surprised to find you indoors." It was unusual for the scout to remain in the company of the house for long. He spent most of his time with the other scouts in the lodgings for the help located next to the manor.

"The company is unexpectedly good," he stood up and inclined his head towards Sang Kyu, sending an admiring glance at the elementalists.

Sang Kyu shook his head slightly, as if amused. "It saves me the trouble of having to find you." Hangeng looked mildly alarmed at the statement and the Silverberg waved at him in a dismissive gesture. "I only wished to speak with you. Zhou Mi. Henry. You as well. Would you join me in the study please?" he waved his hand towards the room in the back corner.

Confused by the request but not so impolite as to refuse, Zhou Mi accepted for both him and Henry. "Of course."

"Sure," Henry shrugged, grinning when his response earned a giggle from Summer.

"Soon-Bok," Sang Kyu addressed the young woman who had ghosted in after him and stationed herself along the wall, quiet and unobtrusive. She stepped forward when her name was called and bowed respectfully. "Bring some tea to the study, please," he prompted.

"Of course, Master Sang Kyu," she responded immediately before retrieving the picked over tray from the table the five had set it on and headed for the kitchen.

Sang Kyu waited for her to head out before he focused on the others again. "Summer. Shouldn't you be calling it a night?"

"I'm fine, father," she assured him promptly.

A ghost of concern slid across his features before he took a small breath and opted not to comment. "Gentlemen," he directed his attention instead, waiting for the minstrels and the scout to precede him into the study. They shrugged uncertainly at Summer and Eunhyuk but followed along, intensely curious what he wanted to discuss with them.

The remaining two, miffed at being left out and disregarded as something inconsequential, watched the four disappear into the study. Shortly after, Soon-Bok disappeared inside as well and then reappeared, taking a place directly beside the door as she regarded the pair evenly. Irritably, Summer grumbled under her breath and stalked off to the guest rooms, too tired to argue. Eunhyuk paused and watched the young woman at the door for a moment more, wondering just what they were saying inside the room. Sang Kyu had seemed a bit different when he had addressed them this time. Oh, nothing warm or welcoming, but he hadn't been quite as distant as before. The wind elementalist sighed and shrugged before he waved at Soon-Bok and followed after Summer.

In the morning, the manor had a different feel to it. It wasn't as if anything had changed overtly but rather that with the coming of the minstrels, there had been a noticeable shift, but even so, there was something else that was a bit off. Eunhyuk and Summer ate breakfast with their own company, surprised when none of the rest of the family showed up and more so that Zhou Mi and Henry were absent as well. They found out why when, in their explorations, they made their way to the recreation room where the sound of vocals and music could be heard drifting through the closed doors.

As they approached the doors, they heard the singing stop and Mimi's patient voice could be heard, coaching steadily, "Now, lady Amber. You need to relax more. The sound is supposed to come from here, not your nose," he chided gently.

"I am not singing through my nose," she denied adamantly as Summer and Eunhyuk shrugged and pushed the door open to look inside.

In the recreation room, the floor space had been completely cleared so that there was plenty of room for dancing lessons. Henry was still playing his violin, a measured pace that Autumn and Sage were currently dancing to. In the corner nearest the garden hallways door, Kangin was watching the younger brother with amusement, but he tapped along to the sound of the beat, a casual observer. Mimi was standing in front of Amber who had managed a very annoyed glare at the minstrel as he tried to tell her she wasn't singing perfectly as she knew she was.

With patience that was wearing thin, as it always did with Amber, Mimi waved her glare away and changed subjects. "Perhaps we should come back to this. If you would be so good as to partner with Sage for the waltz, my lady," he gestured at the younger pair who was coming to a stop as Henry wound down the song, right on cue.

Amber's gaze deadpanned as she looked at her younger brother. "I'm not dancing with him. He cannot lead and he always steps on my feet," she stated bluntly, to Sage's embarrassment. "I will dance with Henry," she decided instead, already heading for the violinist and disregarding Mimi as a viable partner altogether, seeing that he had spent the morning correcting her.

She hadn't quite made it to the flustered minstrel before Autumn stepped in front of her, politely blocking her path and sweeping her hand towards Sage. "Henry is playing the melody and you know very well that Sage is getting better, Amber," Autumn spoke pointedly, her own annoyance at her sister's spoiled behavior beginning to show through her mask.

The perfectly done up and prettily dressed Amber looked at her more practically dressed sister and reiterated, "I'm dancing with Henry." Perturbed, she reached out to push her sister aside with one haughty hand.

Autumn's eye twitched as both minstrels moved to step in, but were a hair too slow as, in a completely unladylike display, Amber's arm was grabbed and she was abruptly hauled over her sister's hip and unceremoniously dumped on the floor. She shrieked in dismay and then lay, stunned, on the floor looking up at the faces of Henry and Zhou Mi as they hurried to worry over her. Silence filled the room for one brief moment before Kangin burst into a fit of hearty laughter, to Amber's embarrassment, and even Summer and Eunhyuk had a hard time keeping the smiles from their faces. That had been a good toss.

While the minstrels helped the red faced young woman to her feet, Autumn glanced over at Kangin who did at least manage a proud smile in her direction, before she pat Sage on the head in a big sister gesture. He couldn't help but smile in return until Amber loudly fumed and stomped her foot, "I'm telling mother about this!" Abruptly, she shook off the still concerned hands of Henry and Zhou Mi and stormed out of the front door, brushing past Summer and Eunhyuk with angry eyes.

"Well that certainly didn't go as expected," Henry shrugged, looking around at the remaining persons.

"No, it certainly did not," Zhou Mi agreed as he hastily brushed his shirt off and then focused his attention on Autumn, trying very hard to hide his amused smile. "Now then. Since your sister has had a change of heart for the morning, shall we continue with the foxtrot?" he asked, reaching for the young woman's hand with a polite bow.

Finally in control of her own flush, Autumn smiled and curtsied, taking Mimi's hand while Henry picked his violin back up and repositioned it to start playing again. As the pair started to dance, Kangin moved over to the uncertain duo at the front, a grin still on his face. "Don't worry," he waved dismissively. "They always have some sort of fight when the boys are here, though I will say this is the first time it's gotten physical," he laughed, a degree of admiration in his eyes.

"I'm guessing you taught her that throw," Summer stated slyly, smiling harder when he ducked his head but didn't deny it.

"She comes in and practices with Sage some days, when she's tired of the lessons her mother teaches her," he shrugged.

"Indeed," Eunhyuk chuckled, watching the willowy young woman float around the floor, effortlessly lead by the considerably taller Zhou Mi. "Do they really stay to teach lessons?"

Kangin looked over at the elementalist and nodded. "Aye. Normally anyway. Though from what I've heard, their visit is going to be much shorter this time. If I'm right, and news from Oleric rarely isn't, they're supposed to head out tomorrow for the capitol," he explained, mistaking the surprise on their faces for dismay at them leaving.

"Why?" the pair asked in tandem, exchanging nervous glances.

The training master shrugged. "No idea, but Sang Kyu supposedly requested they do so in all haste. I don't know any of the details though," he admitted, scratching his head. It was an unusual enough request, but then again, so was the relayed request from earlier this morning. Why would the minstrels need sais and travel gear?

Their questions were pushed to the back however, when Myung Hee arrived to watch over the proceedings, a still annoyed though much subdued Amber in tow. With the elder Silverberg's presence, the lessons became more focused but everyone in the room, save Myung Hee, was roped into dance lessons for the duration of the morning. Both elementalists were amused at the outcome and Amber was further perturbed to be led by the powerful but blunt Kangin. Mi Cha was dragged in as a partner for Sage while Eunhyuk danced with Summer. For the neutralizer, dancing in a dress was an entirely different experience, but one she found she enjoyed when the fabric brushed against her skin and flared out elegantly when she turned or twirled. She could hardly stop smiling and for most, her happiness was contagious.

Despite the unexpected beginning to their morning and the questions they had over Kangin's revelations, the duo had a surprisingly good time. Myung Hee called a halt to their lessons about an hour or so before the afternoon meal to give them all time to wash up and get ready. Summer's siblings disappeared very quickly, with Amber still sulking and both Autumn and Sage fairly energized from the lessons. Kangin bowed out next, pleading he had work to do in the training hall, and Myung Hee and Mi Cha returned through the front door on their way out, leaving the elementalists with the minstrels.

As they were packing up, Eunhyuk approached and asked, "So what was it Sang Kyu wanted to speak with you about last night?"

"Huh?" Mimi started, briefly surprised by the blunt question. "Oh. He wanted to organize travel plans," he answered openly. "Normally, we stay here for a couple weeks or so, but he requested we move on as soon as possible this time. Something about an urgent delivery that needed to be made to the capitol." Visually, he seemed completely ignorant of what Sang Kyu had been requesting but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and Henry wasn't quite as good at keeping a neutral expression as his lips curled up in a smile he tried very hard to keep from being obvious.

"Hangeng is supposed to be escorting us too," Henry nodded enthusiastically. "We heard about this nasty group of bandits that were subdued on the other side of the river. You never know if they have friends this far out though," he shrugged but the twinkle was in his eyes too.

"Uh huh," Summer murmured, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked between them skeptically. "Mimi, what's this about?" she asked directly, spearing him with her gaze.

He laughed lightly and shook his head before standing up and setting his instrument case on the table top. "Lady Summer. Why don't you just ask him?" he prompted with a grin. With that, he bowed politely and reached out to nudge Henry who had yet to pick his violin case off the floor.

The younger man did so hurriedly and then was the first out the door, eager for a wash and food. If nothing else, the Silverbergs were not stingy with their meals or their treatment of guests that were in their favor. A perturbed Summer and amused Eunhyuk watched the minstrels disappear out the door before they regarded each other again. "It can't be," Summer started, shaking her head in obvious disbelief.

"Nothing's impossible," Eunhyuk grinned as he reached out to clap her on the shoulder with his good hand. His right limb was still incredibly sore and tender, but he could function quite well otherwise. The quality rest and good food were doing wonders for the rest of his body and walking had become something considerably more enjoyable since he'd been treated here. He wasn't sure he was ready to quite throw everything behind what he thought was going on just yet, but there was enough proof to give him hope. "Come on," he encouraged, nudging her shoulder gently. "Let's go get cleaned up and see what lunch brings," he winked with a broad grin.

* * *

><p>The sounds and smells of the city were overwhelming for the already tense elementalists being led to the palace. All manner of voices reached their ears. Some were quiet and hushed as to who they were, was speculated upon. Others were loud and raucous, the normal voices of day to day life with the occasional angry or indignant voice rising above the general din. There were too many smells to pick out any one but it was generally unpleasant, the smell of food mixing with the scent of countless bodies crammed too close in cramped quarters; the odor of refuse and other things unfamiliar to them.<p>

While the horses had slowed down due to necessity as not everyone was apparently so good at getting out of their way, it did not make Kyuhyun or Eleanara feel any better. At last, the general din of noise finally started to die down as the feeling of being surrounded on all sides slowly eased up, replaced by more open space that pressed in upon them in a different way.

Kwan's voice over Eleanara's shoulder surprised her as they pulled up. "Let Lord Enrhyll know that I have returned," he stated firmly, his voice surprisingly steady despite his partial success and loss of most of his men. "Tae Hyun," he stated once they heard feet retreating on a stone surface.

"Sir!" he answered immediately.

"Time for them to walk," the Captain explained as he shifted abruptly, offsetting Eleanara as his presence was swiftly removed.

Reflexively, she clenched tightly to the horse with her legs and leaned forward, trying to center herself. Hands grabbed her around the waist and she clung tighter, her legs aching. She didn't want to get off the horse now… She didn't want to face Enrhyll like this… "No!" she denied vehemently as she felt herself easily dragged from the back of the tall creature and set carefully on the ground. One hand wrapped firmly around her slender arm to hold her in place as she pulled away.

"Get your hands off me!" Kyuhyun snarled angrily, resisting the two pairs of hands that reached up to retrieve him. Roughly, he was hauled off the horse and he groaned in pain as they lost their hold on him, causing him to hit the ground. "Assholes," he coughed, grimacing when he felt a booted toe dig into his ribs. Blindly, he kicked out at whoever was there and was instead rewarded with the sound of metal clanging against metal two different times.

"Fools!" Kwan glowered at the two men after he hit them soundly in the head with his gauntleted hand, startling them through their helmets. Under his baleful glare, Tae Hyun and He-Sung hefted the young man to his feet, remaining close beside him with a hand on either arm tightly.

"You don't have to hold so tight," Kyuhyun stated through clenched teeth, kicking at the person to his right and hurting his toe on the metal shin guards.

Fully irritated now, Kwan growled under his breath and shoved Eleanara at Tae Hyun, making him release his current charge to catch her awkwardly, before grabbing Kyuhyun himself. He grabbed one arm and then the back of the young man's neck with the other. "Just be still," he commanded gruffly, nodding to himself when Kyuhyun finally subsided, shoulders tense from the pain in his neck. The captain took a moment to glance at the equally tense Eleanara and then nodded at Tae Hyun, "Let's go."

He set a brisk pace as he guided his charge up the stone stairs that led into the palace, keeping a firm hold and hauling Kyuhyun back to his feet when the young man caught his foot on the stairs more than once. As annoying as it was, he couldn't be sure whether the action was intentional or incidental so he refrained from saying anything. A glance back showed that Eleanara seemed to be having as much difficulty as her companion so it was likely just being blindfolded that was causing such trouble.

The guards at the top of the stairs pulled open the doors for the four, bowing respectfully as Kwan passed by, their halberds solidly planted on the stone floor. Once they were inside, the doors were closed behind them loudly, the sound resonating through the open hallway that led to the rest of the palace. Huge pillars positioned on either side of the red carpet that spread the entire length of the room, rose up from the floor and held up the vaulted ceiling at least twenty feet above them.

It was a familiar enough sight for Kwan though it rarely wrought as much nervousness in him as this occasion did. He longed to be able to step through any of the numerous side doors that led to other parts of the palace as opposed to the one straight ahead that led to Enrhyll's throne room. The heavy doors were closed, as they usually were of late, and hid whatever mood he might be in.

Guards stationed at intervals down the path watched them with subtle interest and looked after them once they had gone by, curious to finally see the elementalists they had heard about. As the doorways grew closer, Kwan looked at the guards on either side and nodded slightly. "We have arrived," he announced quietly for their benefit. "I suggest you behave in Lord Enrhyll's presence," he suggested tersely.

At his announcement, both froze and despite the hand on the back of his neck, Kyuhyun pushed back against being moved forward. Eleanara did the same and pushed her heels firmly into the ground, desperate to avert this meeting. She kicked out at Tae Hyun, much as Kyuhyun had done earlier, and met with the same result. Despite either of their attempts otherwise, she was half-carried and half-pushed while Kyuhyun was dragged by the physically stronger Kwan.

The sound of doors opening alerted them to a change and they tensed again as they were led into the throne room. Both expected to be attacked any second and Kyuhyun cringed in preparation while Eleanara was prepared to throw her barrier up in an instant if need be. Absolute silence surrounded them, save the sound of their muffled steps as they walked upon carpet. Both were forced to kneel, a kick to the back of their knees sending them roughly to the floor, almost landing them on their faces when they couldn't catch themselves. A hand caught their shoulders before that could happen and when they finally came to a stop, Kwan's voice sounded out, "My Lord Enrhyll. I have returned with the Fire Elementalist Kyuhyun and the Light Elementalist Eleanara." Abruptly, he knelt to the floor as well, his fist over his heart in respect. He heard Tae Hyun follow suit immediately.

For the first time, the pair heard the sound of Enrhyll's voice and they started in surprise. "Kwan. Is that any way to treat my guests?" The tone was chiding and almost playful, but there was this harshness under it that belied his first smooth words.

"Forgive me, my lord," Kwan responded immediately, his gaze still down. "They have been more resistant than I had anticipated." Personally, he felt he was not given enough warning in regards to what they were capable of, but it was no use saying any such thing to Enrhyll. That was a sure fire way to get himself demoted, if not killed outright, as was still a possibility.

Enrhyll stood up smoothly and approached the four, observing the dirty and bound captives before him with some distaste. That was no way for them to have been brought to him. "They are here now. Release them at once," he commanded haughtily, glancing at Hana to be sure she was still at his side. She had ghosted over to follow, just behind him, and was staring at the two with focused attention.

Kwan looked up at Enrhyll to confirm the command and when the expression was completely serious, he nodded and stood up, gesturing for Tae Hyun to do the same. The blindfolds were removed first and then the ropes that bound their hands were severed quickly.

Blinking in the light as their eyes blurred with tears, Kyuhyun and Eleanara automatically fell forward on their hands when their wrists were unbound, pain flaring to life as the blood finally surged back into them. Their aching eyes were focused on the man in front of them, though. Enrhyll was not what either of them expected. They had built him up to be a monster in their heads but this man…this person in front of them that smiled at them benevolently, was one of the most beautiful and striking persons they had ever seen.

Dark eyes and darker hair stood out first with a perfect complexion of pale skin and clothes that complemented him effortlessly. He was tall and lithe with a body that was in exceptional condition judging by the way the clothes fit him, flawlessly sized and trimmed to his measurements exactly. "Welcome to my palace," he gestured openly, his voice warm and persuasive.

It was a warmth that did not extend to his eyes and both Kyuhyun and Eleanara picked up on it, deeply unsettled. The pair exchanged nervous glances and then nodded at each other ever so slightly. None of the others were here and he was acting as if he really did mean them no harm, but that couldn't be right... They were confused by his lack of action but they were also decidedly angry. Here, directly in front of them, was the man they had been sent to kill…the one who had nearly killed them several times already. It wasn't hard for them to decide what they had to do.

Immediately, the elementalists surged to their feet, trying to buy themselves space and time from their captors behind them as they attacked. Kyuhyun commanded the fire to answer his will and as he directed it, a billowing wall of flame erupted directly in front of him and spiraled hungrily towards Enrhyll and the young woman beside him.

Hana reacted immediately and stepped in front of a stunned Enrhyll. Angrily, she reached for the power that was building before her and gripped it firmly, stalling the flames where they were and slowly, she was able to shrink it down to size, siphoning off the volatile power of the angry firestorm. Anger washed over her as they attacked _her_ Lord Enrhyll after he had been so gracious as to grant them an audience and greet them properly. Abruptly, the fire she was neutralizing blinked out of existence. Directly behind it though, came a different elemental attack and one she was not prepared for.

Eleanara did not have much of anything to attack with. Her dagger had long since disappeared into the river and her array of abilities were meant to defend and heal, but that did not stop her from feeling the need to do something just now. She didn't have anything in mind but she focused her will on assisting Kyuhyun and funneled her power towards hurting Enrhyll. Her nameless desire quickly took form in front of her and she felt a pull on her power as a brilliant glowing bird reared up and shot forward. It wasn't much larger than a small dog, but it streaked through the place that Kyuhyun's flames had been a second before, darting directly for Enrhyll.

Both Enrhyll and Hana were surprised by the formation of a light construct and it was only the timely appearance of a barrier that held it at bay initially, as it clawed and beat at him ineffectively. Furious now, Hana grabbed at the threads holding the creature together and tore it apart even as it savagely attacked the invisible shield between it and its target. Unraveled, it dissipated into golden dust with a final defiant shriek.

No longer surprised, Enrhyll's face had darkened considerably and a deep rage could be seen burning in his eyes. "How dare you!" he snarled savagely, deeply upset and offended that they would dare to attack his magnificent person. Enrhyll stepped forward and roughly pushed Hana aside as she was in his way, setting her off balance. Her loss of focus was the only thing that saved the elementalists just then as Eleanara dashed in front of Kyuhyun and threw up a barrier that deflected the multi-element attack that furiously pelted the shield.

Eleanara groaned at the force of the assault, flinching away from various elements that licked around them as she felt the heat of fire, the combined cold of wind and water as well as the sharp edge of shadow pressing against her. Almost immediately, she felt her strength beginning to crumble under his onslaught until Kyuhyun stepped up beside her, sliding his left arm around her shoulder for support and using his right arm to launch another stream of flame against Enrhyll's attack.

The heat billowed up in front of them as the power clashed, intense and angry. Enryhll poured more into his strike while Hana recovered enough to reach out at the power that was contesting him. Eleanara felt the barrier being neutralized almost instantly and Kyuhyun was not far behind in his realization. Desperately, he pulled her closer to him and threw them both to the side as their powers failed and the out of control amalgamation of elements hissed through the space they had been. They felt the concentrated attack nip at their heels, sharp and biting, before it engulfed an unprepared Tae Hyun and obliterated him almost instantaneously, his scream lost in the elements.

Mildly disoriented, the two tried to react to defend themselves but they felt the neutralizer's influence immediately, pressing against them and their attempt to call upon their power. They froze when a still livid Enrhyll snarled, "How dare you attack me!" and were bowled over by a powerful gust of wind that tore them apart and sent them sprawling over the carpeted floor.

A savage expression on her face, Hana stalked towards the pair, a dagger in her hand. Kwan, thoroughly unnerved by the display of power he had just witnessed and uncertain of his own security, rushed to subdue the first elementalist he could. Eleanara had been tossed closest to him and was even now struggling to pick herself up off the floor. He walked over and picked her up easily, hauling her to her feet by the back of her shirt and keeping a tight hold on her when she tried to escape, her hasty assault on his person deflected by the armor he wore and hurting her more for her attempts.

By the time Hana reached him, Kyuhyun was standing on his feet, a bit shaky but otherwise aware. He might not have been able to use his power, since he could feel her neutralizing his flames almost like a heavy blanket pressing down on him, but that didn't mean he was helpless. As angry as her, he growled and lunged towards the neutralizer, grabbing the knife hand awkwardly, and then planted his foot in her stomach with a powerful kick.

Hana cried in pain and surprise as she was tossed back by the force of his attack, landing just in front of Enrhyll who was closing the distance between them, his expression still clouded but no longer livid. "Be still!" he commanded, abruptly engulfing Kyuhyun's lower body in stone from the palace floor as it tore through the carpet effortlessly.

Kyuhyun screamed in pain and alarm, the sensation of being encased in stone a terrifying experience and he was only glad that it stopped where it did and failed to move any higher. Frantically, he pushed at the solid structure, glancing around in a state of near panic until Kwan approached him from behind and hit him in the back of the head with the hilt of his dagger. The fire elementalist jerked and then slumped forward, the rest of his body held in place by the stone.

"Stop it!" Eleanara shouted as she pried at Kwan's hand ineffectively. All of his person was armored except for his head so she reached up and scraped her fingers across his face, drawing blood and catching him off guard enough to make him let go. Swiftly, she placed herself in front of the unconscious Kyuhyun as she looked between Enrhyll and Hana, the latter of which had murder in her eyes.

At her attempted defense, Enrhyll finally smiled again, an expression of harsh amusement. With a careless flick of his hand, a tendril of mist was carried on the breeze he created and circled Eleanara effortlessly. He was further amused when he saw the recognition in her eyes just before they rolled to the back of her head and she crumpled to the ground in front of her companion. Disgusted and annoyed, Enrhyll stood motionless, debating what to do now.

His first meeting had not gone at all as he had thought it would and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about it now. Certainly, they couldn't have meant to hurt him? He, who was obviously so perfect and powerful. Wait… Yes. That must have been it. He smiled as he recalled an instance when he was younger; his bastard sister taken in a small cat, a kitten really, but the stupid thing had attacked her when she tried to help it. When she had insisted upon protecting it further, he had called her stupid too, at which point she'd reasoned it was only frightened since she was so much bigger and stronger than it.

Yes. That must be what happened here. They were obviously undernourished and in need of care, much as the kitten had been, so it really made perfect sense that his overwhelming power had frightened them. They had lashed out at him in fear because they didn't know what else to do. All he had to do was take care of them and they would be his! Idly, he wondered if they would end up following him around as the kitten had done for her…

Abruptly, he pulled himself back to the moment at present and waved the stone structure holding the young man up. He fell forward the rest of the way, landing on top of Eleanara. Kyuhyun, wasn't it? Hmm… That one he would need to have watched. Until he overcame his fear of the god Enrhyll, Hana would need to stay near him so that he did not accidentally harm himself or others. As for the woman, Eleanara… He doubted she would be as difficult to rein in. The softer element of light tended to be easier to control so he assumed she would be much the same. And her display had given him a thought.

The larger constructs took a great deal of his power to form and set him back in his ability to call upon the elements again, but the small one she had created seemed equally useful, just in a smaller area. It stood to reason that when the others arrived, they would have a similar reaction as these two had. He could understand that. It would be simpler if he could just have them brought here as he originally intended but his patrols seemed abysmal at achieving that desire. His expression darkened briefly and then cleared almost immediately. So he would have to do something else instead.

Gleefully, he rubbed his hands together, a reaction that confused both Hana and Kwan. He glared at them until their expressions returned to neutral and then waved at the guards at the front door who had mercifully escaped his wrath. "Take them to the guest rooms," he commanded in an offhand manner, already bored by the results of today. He would have to wait for them to wake again. As he watched the guards carefully picking up the unconscious bodies, he couldn't help but sneer at their present state.

When he saw them again, they would actually be presentable. That would do quite nicely. "Hana," he added. "You will attend that one," he explained in a patronizing tone when he gestured to Kyuhyun specifically.

"But, my lord!" Hana started to object.

"Don't question me!" he snapped back darkly, a fierce frown on his face at her intrusion.

She flinched and froze where she was. Hana bowed her head subserviently and murmured, "Yes, my lord." She finally became aware that she was still clenching the dagger in her hand, the hilt digging into her palm, and she forced herself to sheathe it at her hip again. Her hand lingered on the handle longer than it needed to but her mind was already on other thoughts.

Ungrateful dogs… They did not deserve his attention or a second chance to redeem themselves. She could see quite clearly they did not love Enrhyll as she did. In their faces she had seen fear, of course, for he was a god to be feared, but there had also been anger and hate, but no love. Sullenly, she followed the two guards who had come from the hallway and who were now carrying the fire elementalist's body. The light elementalist was being carried by only one other, her pitifully small body cradled in his arms. No. They did not deserve his attention.

Enrhyll watched them depart while the Captain remained as he should. "Kwan."

"Yes, my lord?" the Captain asked, kneeling in front of him quickly.

"You will attend Kyuhyun as well." His directive was met with surprise but it was not argued. Good. Perhaps he would keep Kwan around just that much longer. "Now go away," he waved imperiously, turning towards his elaborate throne on the raised dais.

Kwan stood up and hesitantly touched his cheek where the young woman had scratched him. And he had been fortunate in that, unlike Tae Hyun. "Yes, my lord," he finally murmured with a bow before he removed himself hastily.

As he sat down, Enrhyll ran his hands over the soft, but well-worn arms and mused quietly to himself. His guards could not do what he asked, but his constructs… They never tired, never needed sleep and would know what to look for. Intently, he focused on wind and as he had done for the larger versions, he weaved a serpentine form into existence before him. The wind construct was wispy, almost see through, but when he reached out to touch the elongated dragon, the form was solid enough to feel.

Pleased, he reached for shadow and crafted a lupine creature that melded easily with the shadows in the room, seamlessly jumping in and out of the dark pools. He even crafted a light construct, though the shape he chose was far more imposing in the form of a winged dragon with a horned head and more proportional but still slender body, a cousin to the wind construct. The final one he made was an earth construct, based more on the reptilian crocodile that could swim through rock and stone as easily as the original could through water.

He felt their power drifting around him, completely under his control and ready for his command. For the rest of the day, he spun more constructs, burning through his power until he actually found his limit; a fact that did not set well with him. Just as quickly as he started, he stopped, hoarding the rest of his ability greedily. With just a touch of paranoia, he eyed his guards, but when they reacted no differently, other than to be mesmerized by the constructs dancing in his hall, he relaxed.

With a final command, he gave his creations the information he knew about the elementalists and sent them out into the night. Earth and shadow disappeared into their mediums while the guards hurried to open the doors for the wind and light constructs before they could burst through. They were all his size or larger and Enrhyll imagined that enough of them would be able to subdue any of the elementalists and bring them here. When his power was restored, he would make more tomorrow and then he would tend to his guests. A slow smile spread across his face as he steepled his hands in front of him and leaned back into his throne, invincible in his domain.


	30. Chapter 30

Fed, rested and feeling better than they had in days, Kharin and Leeteuk slept very well over the night. The shadow elementalist woke first in their group, fairly refreshed, albeit sore. While it appeared that Eun Mi and Yong-Soo had been awake for at least a little while, seeing that they had already started breakfast and a pot of tea, Siwon and Leeteuk were still sleeping and it was early morning as the pale light spilling in through the open window showed. Slowly, Kharin allowed herself to sit up, stretching carefully on the floor before attempting to get to her feet.

"Morning," Eun Mi greeted softly as she carried the kettle and an empty mug over to the young woman who took a seat gingerly at the table.

Kharin was careful not to wake either of her companions and she smiled fondly at their sleeping faces before she focused on the healer. In some ways, she reminded her invariably of Eleanara, being a healer and whatnot, but she also had this way about her that showed she was perhaps not the best at speaking with people. Her know-it-all attitude, especially when it came to medicine, was already getting tiresome, but…she did mean well as far as she could see. She kept her thoughts to herself though, and her expression pleasant as she responded, "Good morning."

"Here. I thought you might like some tea," Eun Mi offered, pushing the steaming mug towards Kharin and taking a seat across from her.

"Thank you," Kharin nodded with a grateful smile. She took a sip, enjoying the diverse play of tastes across her palette and glanced over at Siwon and Leeteuk again. "How are they doing?" she queried, keeping her gazes on them while she waited for an answer.

Eun Mi glanced at the two sleepers and pursed her lips in thought. "Well. Siwon is doing better than I anticipated," she explained almost wistfully. She noticed Kharin look at her out of the corner of her eye and she flushed slightly and focused on the newest injured person. "Leeteuk is holding up surprisingly well, considering his injuries," she remarked appreciatively.

"Will they be able to travel soon?" Kharin asked softly, her attention focused out the window now. It was too easy to be lulled into relaxing here, relatively safe and content for the first time in days. She was not immune to the desire to catch her breath either, but neither could she ignore the pull that told her they were needed elsewhere. She figured they felt it too, but with her, it had been especially hard since she was still mobile and capable of moving on.

"I would like to have them rest for a few more days at least, but…" she added at Kharin's incredulous stare, "I know you all have somewhere you need to be."

"Yes, we do," Kharin affirmed softly, her gaze intent and serious.

"And we're not going to keep you here any longer than need be," Yong-Soo assured her with a smile, pulling up a chair to join them as he brought the usual porridge over with three bowls in hand.

His assurance helped Kharin to relax just that much more and she smiled gratefully as she accepted the first bowl. It was very bland but there was a new taste underlying the boiled oats. Small flecks of dried herbs showed that they had added something different than she was used to.

The trio ate in relative silence as they waited for the other sleepers to awaken. With the general sounds of morning activity, it didn't take long for Leeteuk or Siwon to come around, roused additionally by the smell of food. The healing body demanded a lot of food, to their chagrin. Usual morning pleasantries were exchanged and the remainder of the food was consumed, with the leftover portions going to both the injured men.

"Thank you," Leeteuk offered as he handed the empty bowl back, still seated on the floor. It was better than trying to get up and walk around at present; a sentiment that Siwon shared as he sat up on the cot.

"Of course," Eun Mi smiled, trading him the bowl for a cup of tea.

Siwon was already finishing his, getting fairly practiced in drinking the hot liquid quickly. When he was done, he handed the mug back to Eun Mi and reached for the scrying bowl, eager to see how the others were doing. When he checked in on Summer and Eunhyuk, he couldn't help but smile to see them dancing. His grin widened when he noticed that it was Henry and Zhou Mi that were teaching the lessons. At Leeteuk and Kharin's prodding, he explained as much, watching the amusement spread over their faces and then dampen slowly.

None of them wanted to say it, but the question of why they were dancing and having a good time when there was so much going on was definitely in their thoughts. They each saw the question in the faces of the others and forced a smile instead. "They look well," Siwon insisted, focusing on that aspect instead. "Eunhyuk's arm looks like it's doing better."

"What happened to his arm?" Kharin frowned, glaring at the bowl as if in doing so she would be able to see something too.

"I'm not sure," he shrugged apologetically. "It's not broken though."

"He's almost as bad as you, Teuk," Kharin grumbled with a laugh as she playfully pushed his shoulder.

Leeteuk glanced down at his ankle guiltily and then shrugged. "If I'm the worst one off, then I think we did pretty well," he admitted with a forced smile. While it annoyed him that he had managed to sustain the worst injury, he really was glad that none of the others had broken anything. Quiet nods agreed with that statement.

Siwon had to take a deep breath before he scryed the other two. He never knew what to expect and it hurt every time to see them captive. His lips thinned when the image came into view, clear and unmistakable. As before, they were bound and blindfolded, but unlike the last time he had seen them, the patrol was riding hard. There was an urgency there he had not seen before and as his face clouded over, the other two picked up on it immediately.

"What's wrong?" Leeteuk asked first, just a fraction ahead of Kharin.

The water elementalist held up his hand as he panned the image back to see more and his brows furrowed. "What happened to the patrol?" he questioned, as if to himself, when he noticed the majority of the men and horses were gone.

"Kyuhyun," Kharin explained as she stood up and looked out the window. All eyes turned towards her and she looked around and back at Leeteuk a bit nervously. She shrugged and tried to explain, "He did something yesterday. Some sort of attack," she gestured as she searched for the words.

"He destroyed most of the patrol," Leeteuk picked up for her, looking at Eun Mi and Yong-Soo as they stood up.

"The smoke from yesterday?" Yong-Soo asked incredulously.

Kharin and Leeteuk nodded at the same time. "I saw them yesterday as they passed us. I wasn't sure who they'd captured until we found the remains of the patrol. I should have tried something!" she berated herself quietly as she balled her hands into fists. Her concern that she might have hurt them with any of her attacks still held, but that did not make her inaction any easier to swallow.

"What else do you see?" Leeteuk asked with a concerned glance at Kharin. He could tell that their inability to do anything had set her more on edge than usual.

With new focus, Siwon turned his attention back to the scrying bowl and he squinted as he concentrated on what else he could determine. With a disorienting mental twist, he was able to rotate the image around to get a better view of the surrounding area and he blinked in surprise. "They're not next to the river anymore!" he exclaimed, noticing the large ribbon of water was gone from the background.

"What?" Kharin stated, taking a step closer.

"Hold on," Siwon urged distractedly as he tried to identify the city structure in the distance. Of course, the structure wasn't familiar but he finally stated, "There's a city behind them now. I think it might be the port…"

"They've already made it to the main road," Eun Mi spoke quietly as she looked at Yong-Soo in concern. They had all missed them entirely when they went by the cabin. How had they missed them? Not that they would have been able to do anything against them, even at the weakened condition they were in, but still…

"So they're almost to Lornhaldt, aren't they?" Kharin asked directly, her posture tense. At Eun Mi's nod, Kharin clenched her jaw and exhaled sharply. "We need to go," she stated bluntly, meeting Leeteuk and Siwon's gaze.

"But they're not ready," Eun Mi interrupted immediately, stepping closer to the trio. "They can barely walk," she further stated.

"But I can," Kharin retorted immediately. "And they need help now!" Abruptly, she turned and strode for the door.

"Wait!" Eun Mi cried as she grabbed hold of Kharin's wrist, the first to move.

"Let go of me, Eun Mi," Kharin murmured quietly.

"No," Eun Mi responded, annoyed. The rest of the room froze at the exchange, a nervous group of tension and uncertainty. She had faced down worse glares than the one Kharin was currently giving her and she wasn't going to back down now.

"I'm warning you," Kharin growled, visibly bristling at being restrained.

"Easy, ladies," Yong-Soo interjected, taking a small step in their direction, sensing trouble.

Eun Mi raised a brow, nonplussed at having heard a variety of bluffs from various patients before. "So I'm warned," she nodded, still holding to Kharin's wrist.

Both Siwon and Leeteuk tried to call a warning and got the words half-way out before Kharin reacted. A balled up right fist connected squarely with Eun Mi's jaw, knocking her to the side and instantly releasing her grip on the elementalist's wrist. She tripped over Leeteuk who was still on the floor and tried desperately to turn her body so she didn't land squarely on Siwon on the cot. Both attempted to catch her, their positioning immensely awkward in softening the blow.

As the door slammed shut behind the angry elementalist, Yong-Soo followed up behind his cousin, helping to haul her off the floor after she careened off the edge of the cot. "Are you okay?" he asked, grabbing her chin in his hand when she stood up so he could assess the bruise just beginning to flower across her cheek.

Eun Mi worked her jaw, fully aware that Kharin had pulled that punch, else she might be nursing worse than a bruised cheek and pride. "I thought she was bluffing…" she muttered in mild embarrassment, dodging the question entirely.

Both Siwon and Leeteuk craned their heads to try and look out the window. Almost together, they murmured, "Kharin doesn't bluff."

"I noticed," the healer grumbled.

"How's it look?" Siwon asked, refocusing on Eun Mi again as she gingerly pressed on her cheek and jaw.

She grimaced and sighed. "Just bruised. Nothing worse." She looked at the door the other woman had disappeared out of and asked with some concern, "Should I go after her?"

"No!" Siwon stated immediately, laughing nervously when Leeteuk pat his knee comfortingly.

"Just give her a minute," Leeteuk insisted as he stared at the door, thoughtful. Having spent the last couple days with her, he sort of understood her frustration. "Can I get a hand up?" he asked, reaching out to Yong-Soo for assistance.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Kharin felt a modicum of relief at just being outside. Agitatedly, she strode for the main road and when she got to it, she looked down the path that the others had been taken. She could even see the tracks of the horses that had come by here. They weren't hard to make out in the packed dirt. Intently, she knelt down and trailed her fingers in the prints there, feeling that aggravating sense of helplessness wash over her again. Hot, angry tears, burned her eyes and she scrubbed them away with an annoyed growl.

She felt a need to do something and it made her want to lash out. For days, she had been relegated to another's pace and while she hadn't minded helping Leeteuk, it still chafed. Now, when they had a means of transport, well maybe…they were still stuck in place. She could travel on foot but she had no supplies and the gods only knew how long it would take her to get to the capitol on foot…

Finally, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She wasn't going anywhere by herself and with an annoyed quirk to her mouth, she admitted Leeteuk and Siwon knew that. Still full of useless energy, she turned her body back to the cabin and was surprised to see Yong-Soo standing outside, leaning against the wall. He had Siwon's maul resting next to him and he was loosely swinging a short sword in his hand. She eyed the weapons and him warily. "What're those for?"

He grinned and picked up the maul before stepping over to her and holding the hefty weapon out for her to take. "Siwon remembered he still had it and Leeteuk suggested I give it to you for a bit." Yong-Soo shrugged as if he didn't know the significance of their suggestion.

Kharin smiled fondly as she carefully reached out and took the weapon in her hands. The maul was heavier than her mace, but the heft was familiar and it felt good to feel that weight again. As Yong-Soo stepped back, she shrugged her shoulders and took a couple practice swings, feeling muscles she hadn't used in days complaining bitterly. The support around her ribs and chest worked wonders on her side too, but after a few passes, she sighed and set the weapon down. "I'm not ready for it yet," she stated, understanding her limits, though she didn't like it.

Yong-Soo tipped his head in agreement and then grinned before laying the sword on the ground too. "Alright, but I'd wager you're getting rusty," he winked and immediately saw the challenge in her eyes. "If you promise to go easy on me, I'll spar with you," he grinned, gesturing for her to step up.

Kharin snorted and then looked at the cabin where the others were. She felt a gentle warmth settle inside her at their consideration. There was no way that Yong-Soo could have known on his own that when she needed to clear her head, she asked Eunhyuk to spar with her. Granted, the man across from her was definitely not Eunhyuk and she had no idea of his skill, but the gesture pleased her immensely. "You're on," she grinned, a feral expression, before she darted at him.

From the window, the trio inside peered out to watch the other two. "Is he going to be alright?" Siwon asked curiously as he rested his head on his hands on the windowsill.

"Of course," Eun Mi started to say and then watched as he narrowly dodged a sweep none of them had been expecting. "I think."

"He'll be fine," Leeteuk assured them both from his vantage next to Eun Mi, smiling as he watched the tension drain from Kharin; the worry smoothed from her face as she focused on the purely physical element of fighting. He knew she'd much rather be kicking Enrhyll's ass right now, but a good fight always helped her come to terms with things. He glanced over at Eun Mi and noticed the grudging admiration there.

Siwon looked back and winced at the bruising on her cheek. "Sorry," he apologized softly.

She blinked in surprise. "Why? You didn't do anything."

"She shouldn't have hit you," he remarked with a sigh.

Eun Mi quirked her mouth to the side, wanting to agree with that but not positive she could. Kharin wasn't her typical patient and she shouldn't have categorized her as such. Especially given that most of her patients weren't exactly out to 'save the world' as it were. "I shouldn't have provoked her either," she did admit as she laid a hand on his shoulder gently. "I guess that makes us even," she then shrugged and let her eyes stray back to the dueling pair.

Siwon glanced at the hand on his shoulder and smiled shyly, making no effort to remove it. When the pair outside showed no signs of stopping any time too soon, the trio broke up and diverted their attention elsewhere. Eun Mi disappeared downstairs and they could hear her rifling through boxes and drawers. The sound of quiet talking reached them occasionally and they peered over at the door in the floor, straining to catch the sound, but she was discreet if nothing else.

"How long do you think he'll last?" Siwon asked to Leeteuk who was now sitting in one of the chairs and playing with a dried leaf he'd found on the table.

Leeteuk paused to glance out the window and narrowed his eyes in thought. "They'll probably wind down soon." He stifled a grin as he saw them both picking themselves up off the ground, a bit slower than usual.

Siwon reached over and picked up the scrying bowl. Distractedly, he turned it in his lap and sighed. "I was wondering. The second time I tried to find you guys, with scrying, I mean," he added at Leeteuk's interested expression, "all I saw was darkness. Do you know why that might be?" he asked, utterly perplexed. It had been alarming when he could find absolutely no sign of them, especially when he had known they were injured.

The earth elementalist hummed in thought and nodded. "It was probably when we were shadow walking," he explained with a shiver. It was not something he wanted to do on any sort of regular basis but it was useful in its own way.

"Shadow walking?" Siwon queried.

"Yeah. When Kharin disappears into shadows. You know," and he mimed a person falling through the floor with his hands.

"Right!" Siwon exclaimed, remembering her conversation about it. He had never experienced it himself, but they had mentioned it at least once or twice on the journey.

"My power doesn't work there either, so it makes sense you can't see anything," Leeteuk stated matter-of-factly.

"Wait. What?" the water elementalist started.

"Nothing. I can't feel the earth at all and anything I take there of earth just turns to dust. It happened to my crutches the first time we tried," he laughed sheepishly.

"I was wondering how she'd managed to carry you this far," Eun Mi laughed as she perched on the stairs, her head just peeking above the door. Leeteuk shrugged but couldn't quite hide his amusement.

They were distracted when they heard laughing at the door and it swung open with Kharin and Yong-Soo standing in the doorway, dusty, sweaty and red faced, but grinning. "What do they teach you guys in the monastery?" the latter asked with a hearty laugh as he waited for Kharin to precede him.

"A little bit of everything," she answered with a grin, her response completely honest. She met the gazes of Leeteuk and Siwon, nodding at the amusement on the faces. As Yong-Soo followed her inside, her green eyes met Eun Mi's as she was coming out of the underground room. Her smile faded just a bit and then quirked up at one side in a not-quite smirk. Kharin stepped forward and extended her right hand to the other woman, who had shifted back, just a bit nervous.

Eun Mi met Kharin's gaze evenly and then looked down at the extended hand. With a pleased, slow smile, she bridged the distance and accepted the hand shake. "So what do you intend to do now?" she asked simply, hands still clasped so that she felt the other woman's grip twitch slightly.

"What I said earlier still stands," she stated firmly. "We do need to go. As soon as possible," she added as she looked back at her companions.

"She's right," Leeteuk backed her up, his face clouded. There was no way they could stop Kyuhyun and Eleanara from making it to the capitol first, but they could follow in all haste.

"The question is how," Siwon chipped in, his gaze settled on Eun Mi and then shifting to Yong-Soo. The healer looked at her cousin with a thoughtful expression as she released Kharin's hand and took a step back, clasping her hands together in front of herself instead. "Neither of us are in any shape to travel on foot, but we can't wait," he explained, an edge of desperation to his voice.

Yong-Soo brushed past Kharin and came to stand next to Eun Mi. She seemed altogether torn and it appeared she did not know which path to take. "Your mother will understand," he offered quietly, giving her a reassuring smile when she looked up at him.

Eun Mi looked over at the three elementalists in her cabin and she took a deep breath. This was certainly never anything she had ever expected. What would her mother think in the end? The thought was laughable. Cho Hee would probably laugh at her right now… She'd always said to do the right thing. It was only later that she learned there was often more than one 'right' thing. Technically, she was supposed to finish gathering supplies and take them back to her mother's shop in Corley Port… That was the 'right' thing to do…but so was this. "We can take the cart," she finally nodded, looking at the other four.

"Really?" "You don't have to come too." "Thank you!" were all said at the same time, respectively.

"It's my cart and I'm coming with you," she stated firmly, arms crossed loosely in front of her, to Yong-Soo's amusement.

Seeing they couldn't argue that, they simply added, "It's going to be dangerous, Eun Mi." That from Siwon who really didn't want to see her put herself in harm's way.

"I know," she agreed quickly, "but you are all still my patients and none of you are healed." She looked at Kharin specifically who seemed to think she was. The other woman shrugged and laughed.

"Atta girl," Yong-Soo laughed as he clapped his cousin on the shoulder. He side-stepped from Eun Mi swiftly and rolled his shoulders out before he reached for his hunting bow and quiver of arrows resting next to the door. "If we're heading out, I guess I better go and get us some more supplies," he winked. "Don't leave without me now," he laughed with a backwards wave as he exited out the door.

"Wait," Kharin objected, frowning at the door and at Eun Mi. "Aren't we leaving now?" she asked, confused.

"At first light tomorrow," Eun Mi stated firmly, looking pointedly at Leeteuk and Siwon. She braced herself when she saw the fire return to Kharin's eyes. "I need to know he can walk on his own at least," she glared at Kharin while she pointed at Siwon. "If it comes to a fight, do you honestly want him stuck on the cart? Or him?" and she pointed at Leeteuk then.

The shadow elementalist looked over at Siwon who shrugged in apology, as aggravated as she was with his current condition. Leeteuk grimaced but they knew he could walk with crutches if need be. Her balled hands flailed briefly in front of her as she wanted to say something else but finally grumbled under her breath and muttered, "No."

"Alright then. Why don't you help him to take a walk," she suggested softly instead, carefully placing her hands on Kharin's shoulders and steering her towards Siwon. "He could use the exercise," she smiled wryly.

Kharin gave her one final glare before she rolled her eyes and agreed. "Come on, Siwon," she stated as she stood in front of him and reached for his hands. "Let's get your butt up," she forced a smile.

"Gladly," he laughed as he took her hands and let himself be pulled up. He felt a bit wobbly and weaker than he was used to, but it did feel good to be on his feet. "Just take it slow, okay?" he requested as she started to walk already. A resigned sigh escaped her as she accepted her role grudgingly. Yet another crutch…

When they had made it outside, Leeteuk looked at Eun Mi, "Why didn't you go with him?"

Eun Mi regarded the earth elementalist for a moment. She had wanted to. That was true, but… "I would have asked you but you're not strong enough to support him with your ankle. And she needs something to focus on right now." Eun Mi threw her hands up in frustration. "I would have you all resting for a week if I could," she finally admitted, the healer in her screaming against even what she had already conceded.

"We are grateful for all that you have done for us, but we wouldn't let you keep us here," Leeteuk answered honestly, a certain chill in his tone. She looked at him questionably, not used to hearing that tone in general. When she met his eyes, she almost flinched. The warm chestnut brown color she was used to seeing was gone, replaced by a harder sheen that made her believe his words without argument. "Our family is in danger. Tomorrow morning is as long as we will wait," he agreed with her, acknowledging they all needed the rest, but they could only ignore their hearts so long.

"Okay," she nodded after a pause. "I'm going to go make some tea," she gestured nervously, making her way to the fireplace.

Leeteuk watched her and then looked out to see Kharin standing immediately next to Siwon, a patient smile on her face. They were going nice and slow and while it looked like it was a struggle for the water elementalist, he looked happy. Good.

For the rest of the day, the four who had remained at the cabin struggled to find things to occupy them. Eun Mi busied herself downstairs with getting supplies together for their trip and made frequent trips in and out of the cabin to the cart and to check on Glory, the mule that was stabled outside. When she was asked about it, Eun Mi admitted that she had named her after her favorite flower, the morning glory. Kharin and Leeteuk fidgeted and the former paced when nothing else presented itself. Siwon took to watching the scrying bowl almost obsessively.

He set it aside long enough to eat the afternoon meal Eun Mi prepared for them, but continued watching immediately after. In the mid-afternoon hours, Yong-Soo returned and had actually managed to down a small deer. He was bloodied by having to carry it back, but he was quite elated with his success. While he went to wash off in the river, Eun Mi stepped outside to start dressing the deer. That would definitely feed them for a while.

It was while both of them were outside that Siwon gasped and his hands clenched the bowl tighter. Instantly, Kharin and Leeteuk were by his side, one hand on either shoulder. "Tell us," Leeteuk murmured softly, his head almost touching the other man's as he leaned over the bowl.

"They're at the capitol," he whispered, his expression growing surprised when he saw all the people and just how large it was. He didn't explain that part but he did bite out their treatment when they got to the palace and he visibly flushed at Kyuhyun's abuse.

As he relayed what he saw in the bowl, Kharin gripped the cot so hard her hands hurt and she felt her jaw ache from being clenched so tightly. Leeteuk was experiencing similar effects, though where Siwon had flushed, the earth elementalist paled in fury. When Siwon finally saw Enrhyll and the woman beside him, he had to fight himself in not throwing the bowl. "They're with him now. He's greeting them," he explained in perverse confusion.

"No!" he denied as he watched the two attack, fear clutching at him that he was going to watch them die… His tone became frantic, drawing Eun Mi from just outside and she stared in confusion until she understood what he was recounting. The battle was detailed in a meddled explanation where he described what he saw and often broke off mid-explanation to start on another point. His limbs jerked with each attack and the water rippled, distorting the image so that he had to calm himself before he could see again. He found himself growling as they were both finally overcome and hauled away.

He was not the only one. All three were visibly trembling in various states of anger and Leeteuk choked out one word. "Soon." They looked at each other and nodded once. Tomorrow could not come soon enough.

* * *

><p>The Silverberg manor was busier than usual in the afternoon hours of the day after lunch. Summer and Eunhyuk felt the nervous tension and general excitement in the air as well. They were more relaxed and loose from their exertions this morning though both could recognize they would be feeling it later. The experience was common enough for Eunhyuk who was accustomed to such results but Summer was quite surprised.<p>

Later on, Kibum came by and whisked Eunhyuk off to examine his injuries, leaving Summer to her own devices. That suited her just fine. Moving around had made her realize just how much the fight with the construct and subsequent injuries had set her back. She set out to find Kangin in the training hall, determined to get a pair of pants and a shirt to practice in.

In the Wind room, Kibum unwrapped the bindings he'd placed on Eunhyuk and peered at the severe discoloration still present. Even so, he quirked his head to the side and managed a small smile. "You're healing well," he agreed, moderately content. "It looks bad, but I can tell you're less sore now, correct?"

Eunhyuk nodded and grunted an affirmative before he pulled his arm back to look at the deep blues and purples too. Some spots were taking on a green and yellowish tinge and while it was still tender, he had just a bit more mobility than he had during the first couple days. "How long will it take to heal?" he finally asked uncertainly as he painfully closed his hand and then reopened it.

Kibum looked at him thoughtfully, attempting to measure the time. "For a full recovery, undoubtedly a few weeks." He saw the surprise in Eunhyuk's eyes and laughed, amused. "You sound as if you haven't suffered anything worse."

The wind elementalist shrugged and admitted, "We were careful growing up in the monastery. If you got hurt really bad, it was a long way for help to come." He cringed to think of what it would have been like if he'd managed to injure himself like this in the monastery; before Eleanara could heal anyway.

"Kids are never careful," Kibum scoffed in a superior tone but he was genuinely amused. "So that means you were very lucky," he chuckled instead as he shook his head softly.

"I guess you could say that," Eunhyuk agreed, unsure what else to say.

Kibum waved his hand at him and smiled slightly. "Enough speculation. I know you said your legs were sore. How's your flexibility?"

"Pretty good, usually," Eunhyuk grinned before he sat himself down and proceeded to test his statement.

Kibum watched with interest and then directed the elementalist in performing a few additional stretches he was unfamiliar with. Overall, the healer seemed pleased with the results and said as much before retrieving more salve and gauze and rewrapping the arm again. "Now," Kibum started as he pushed his bangs back with his hand. "I want you to go see Kangin and just run through a few practice drills. Mind your injured hand," he warned sternly, "but see how it feels."

Eunhyuk regarded Kibum curiously, curious as to why he was allowing him to practice when he had chided him the other day for something considerably less active. "Sure. If you say so," the wind elementalist grinned. It did not take him long to bustle out of the room, to Kibum's vexation, and jog down to the training hall.

He found a riled Summer sparring heatedly with Kangin and both seemed fairly vexed. When Eunhyuk paused in surprise, they looked open and Summer grumbled, "He doesn't fight fair."

Kangin stood up, getting out of his ready stance, and snorted, "Of course I don't. Do you think all your opponents will fight fair?" he challenged in annoyance before feinting at her when she was still looking at Eunhyuk.

"Hey!" she cried out in indignation before she rolled backwards to gain distance between them.

"I see what you mean," Eunhyuk agreed with a nod. He took a step forward and Kangin focused on the newcomer, ignoring Summer. "Kibum sent me to try my luck." He nervously looked over at Summer who was still fuming at the harsh reality that the training master was teaching her.

Again, Kangin smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. After a pause, he nodded and gestured for Eunhyuk to step across from him. "You can take a break, Summer," he waved, shifting his attention to the young man.

Summer grumbled at the dismissal and instead headed for the storage closet at the back where she had seen Sage retrieving his training gear the other day. While Kangin had indeed been able to find her a suitable pair of clothes to train in, he had declined to find her a weapon. That being said, she was determined to find one herself. Even if he didn't have any sais, she still knew how to work with a handful of others. Not as well, by any means, but she wasn't completely inept either and a pair of daggers were an easy enough substitute to mimic the motions she used with her primary weapons.

Eunhyuk approached Kangin and then looked down at his clothes. He was still wearing the more formal garb that he had been given when he got here. "Right…" Kangin murmured and chuckled to himself before he headed for a smaller room in the back right of the training hall. It looked similar to the size and positioning of the locked room on the other side of the manor but it opened easily and was filled with all manner of clothes and padded armor. He sized Eunhyuk up briefly and then chose a pair of pants and shirt. "Here. Try these on," the taller man suggested, waving Eunhyuk inside.

The elementalist shrugged and stepped in, changing quickly and quite surprised when the clothes fit rather well. As he stepped out, he flinched when Kangin, who was waiting for him to come out, attacked him in the same manner he had Summer, when he was completely unaware. Unlike Summer, Eunhyuk had slightly better reflexes and when he was startled, a reactive blast of wind came to his aide, catching the larger man squarely and tossing him back, a very surprised expression on his face.

Not sure if he had done something wrong or if he should be proud of himself, Eunhyuk looked at Summer who was grinning. "See? I told you he didn't fight fair." She was carrying dual daggers and held them loosely in her hands as she watched Kangin.

The training master laughed heartily on the floor and then hauled himself into a sitting position with a chagrined smile. "Elementalists," he guffawed as he slapped his leg. Easily, he stood up and brushed himself off before clapping in congratulations. "It has been a while since anyone has thrown me like that," he admitted. "Alright. Enough playing around," he stated, suddenly serious. "Let's see what you can do."

Their training session was not overtly long, but it was broad and somewhat extensive. The injured right arm severely limited some of his abilities, but with the ambidexterity he acquired from dual wielding, his left hand and arm were able to compensate for some of what his right arm was incapable of. Admittedly, it was hard to not react with his dominant right hand but not impossible. His legs, while still slightly sore, were both entirely more responsive and when prompted, he was able to run with relative ease, an exercise Summer joined him in.

When Kangin was satisfied they had found their respective limits, he called them off. "You two aren't half bad," he surmised begrudgingly, aware that even when injured they were still fairly skilled in their respective areas.

"Thank you," Eunhyuk bowed politely, amused at Summer's reluctance to comment. It was obvious she was still annoyed with him from earlier.

"Just make sure you don't stiffen up," the training master warned with a piercing glare. He didn't want to have gone through the trouble of getting them to a good point only to have them ruin it with a pulled muscle…

"We'll be fine," Summer told him decidedly before she was already heading for the door. His warning was sound and she fully intended to make sure she didn't end up pulling something, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

They could see from the light shining through the windows that it was starting to get late. Likely, they still had plenty of time before dinner and both figured a hot bath would do wonders for those muscles they had worked today. Summer had to chase her aide out again, who seemed to always know when she was taking a bath and Eunhyuk did the same this time.

Refreshed and clothed again in clean garbs, another dress and suit as it were, the duo returned to the main part of the manor in search of the others. There were two scouts seated in the lounge, speaking quietly with each other. They smiled and nodded when they saw the two and then resumed speaking. "Do you think Hangeng's in the study?" Eunhyuk asked, looking from the scouts to the door.

Summer shrugged. "I have no idea, but I wonder why he's supposed to be escorting Henry and Mimi," she mused thoughtfully. "They have the same risk all across the country but on the way to the capitol, they suddenly need an escort?"

"Maybe your father's just being courteous," Eunhyuk suggested earnestly, though he definitely had another possibility in mind and it was hard to keep the smile from his face. He gave up trying after a moment and earned a skeptical glance from his companion.

"I can't argue with his being polite," she muttered with a heavy sigh. "Come on. Let's check the recreation room," she suggested as they continued searching for additional people. Neither of them had seen much of most of her family past this morning, which she found distinctly odd. She didn't know enough about their schedules to know if that was normal for them or out of the ordinary but from what she had seen, it felt strange.

To her surprise, she found her mother and sisters seated in one corner with various pieces of clothing scattered around them. They weren't the usual gowns either of them would have expected either. Autumn waved at them warmly when they walked in and Amber looked up from her work and then disregarded them entirely. Myung Hee set down what she was working on in her lap and gave the pair a small smile. "Were you looking for someone, Summer?" she asked politely.

Summer looked between the three again and then back at her mother. "Just wandering… What are you doing?" she asked, not in reference to mending the clothes, as that was obvious, but rather what was she doing mending those types of clothes.

Myung Hee sighed wistfully and pulled at the fabric in her lap. "We're a bit short handed at the moment. Mi Cha is busy in the kitchen and we simply had to finish these alterations. Some of the scouts are still growing," she lamented with a shake of her head before she picked up the shirt she was working on. Both Autumn and Amber were working on a set of dark pants; the fabric seemed reinforced too, which made sense if they did as much riding as the pair believed they would.

Skeptically, Summer asked, "And that needed to be taken care of today?"

"Why yes," Myung Hee answered automatically, glancing up from her work. "The scouts will be heading out tomorrow to resume patrolling when Hangeng leaves," she assured her daughter easily, her expression quite serious. Amber was still stoic in her mending and Autumn was humming quietly to herself, careful not to look up.

Eunhyuk took that opportunity to step up, "Seeing that you ladies are busy, could you tell us where Zhou Mi and Henry are?"

"They're in the garden," Autumn answered immediately as she picked her head up, flushing when her mother glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

Eunhyuk smiled and bowed, making her flush even harder. "Thank you," he offered, brushing Summer's arm with his fingertips to prompt her to follow. She was glad enough to go after him. Hopefully, they would be better company than a trio of sewing women…

As they had seen a few times now, the garden was beautiful at all times of the day. With the setting sun casting everything in a warm reddish orange glow, the room looked truly spectacular as the fountain fragmented the light and made it dance when it filtered through the flowing water. That was where they found the minstrels; playing their instruments on the benches near the fountain as the fading light flowed over them. As the pair approached, they heard the faint sounds of the players going over possible verses and plucking the beginnings of a song as they worked out the details.

"Hello," Eunhyuk called out so as not to startle them when they made their way around to where they were sitting.

The minstrels still jumped slightly, being completely unaware of their surroundings as they focused on their work. Both laughed and then waved at the elementalists as they came and settled in front of the minstrels. "Good evening," Zhou Mi offered with a polite bow over his instrument. "How are you this fine night?" he inquired, gesturing at the dazzling array of colors splashed across the garden.

"It's been an interesting day," Eunhyuk laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. Between the events of this morning with the dance lessons and the practice in the afternoon with Kangin, he wasn't quite sure what to think of the developments, but the activity had felt good and he knew they were both getting anxious to do something more. They couldn't travel at all effectively on foot and they had been hoping to have some assistance in that department considering they couldn't ride either. The thought was actually very discomfiting.

"Considering your story, hasn't that been most days for you guys?" Henry asked with a mischievous grin.

"Henry," Zhou Mi chided, though he was smiling too at the accurate observation.

"When you put it that way…" Summer had to laugh with a helpless shrug. Her laughter faded and she leveled her gaze at them both, more serious this time. "Why are you really going to the capitol?"

"Because your father has asked us to," Zhou Mi responded immediately, no hesitation in his voice.

She frowned at the response and then went on, "Would you be willing to take us with you?" Her expression was pleading, almost desperate, as she knew they were their best chance at getting there quickly unless they could convince Hangeng to take them too. Granted that would require riding with someone, if he would even consider it.

Henry seemed about to say something as he was eagerly smiling but Zhou Mi stepped in with a half-smile at his companion, "We would be most honored to have your company on our way to the capitol, lady Summer, but we would humbly request that you check with your father first." He watched with some chagrin as her face lit up and then fell as he finished speaking.

Henry picked up on the word play and shrugged, "Well, he might be worried about you. And you are both still recovering," he added convincingly, gesturing between the two with his violin bow.

She grumbled at his response but glanced over at Eunhyuk who was the more injured of the two. "I'm getting better," he encouraged as he held up the injured arm and gave her a stiff thumbs up.

"It still takes time," Zhou Mi nodded slowly. "But perhaps we can broach the subject over dinner. It is about time, I believe," he added with a glance around. The light was fading fast in the garden and the golden glow had nearly disappeared.

"Fair enough," Eunhyuk smiled before he stood up and offered his good hand to Summer. She accepted easily enough and allowed him to help haul her to her feet with little trouble. "Let's see what they made this evening," his smile changed to a grin as he very much looked forward to the new foods they had been trying over the past two days. It was considerably better than anything he was used to and he attributed that, at least in part, to his recovery speed.

His reaction brought a smile to all of their faces as the minstrels carefully packed their instruments and followed along after them. Out of courtesy, they headed by the guest rooms so that the two could drop off their items in their rooms and then swung around to the dining hall. They were about right on time as they noticed Soon-Bok and Mi Cha setting the tables while Sage at least was leaning against the wall, waiting for them to finish.

It did not take them more than a minute and the youngest eagerly plopped himself down on a chair, to their general amusement, before the rest of the family filed in. Surprisingly, Hangeng joined them and took a seat next to Amber to her obvious delight as she blushed prettily. After he had settled, even more startling was that Kibum and Kangin joined them, with the latter seated next to Sage and the former taking the chair beside Myung Hee.

While it was clear that Summer and Eunhyuk both had many questions flashing across their faces, they held their tongues as the food was brought out in waves. As before, they started with a broth based soup and a small serving of fresh greens topped lightly with drizzled oil and herbs. The main course followed shortly thereafter with a platter of small stuffed birds; with at least one for all of them. Through the course of the meal, the minstrels and the ladies kept up a steady stream of pleasantries to help pass the time.

As before Sang Kyu remained aloof in the conversations and simply watched the proceedings, leaning over occasionally to speak to Myung Hee quietly before resuming his meal. Periodically, he would look over at Summer and Eunhyuk, his expression unreadable but intent. They met his eyes evenly but could discern nothing from him otherwise.

When at last the dessert was brought out, small plates of a fresh mixed berry cobbler, the conversation died down a bit more as the accompanying carafes were carried in with another rose colored wine. Sage ate quickly, but both Autumn and Amber took their time, aware that like the last time, they would be sent out when the desserts were finished.

At last, they could delay no longer and Sang Kyu finally spoke openly. "Alright children. You may excuse yourselves," he nodded towards the three who put up a token resistance, including Amber's well known pout. Hangeng smirked at that response but she missed it entirely when she stood up to follow her siblings out.

When they were gone with the door shut quietly behind them, Sang Kyu began speaking again after taking a sip of his wine. "Gentlemen. Thank you for joining us this evening," he gestured towards the additional persons that were at the table, seeing that the others were expected to be here.

"Your hospitality is quite appreciated," "We are happy to be here," came from Zhou Mi and Henry who nodded their heads in appreciation. Kibum, Hangeng and Kangin all gave similar though abbreviated thanks that prompted Sang Kyu to smile.

"As you all know, I have asked Zhou Mi and Henry to break from our agreed upon arrangement so that they may tend to an important matter on my behalf in Lornhaldt." He nodded his head graciously in their direction and they smiled agreeably. "Hangeng has agreed to provide an escort there and will be accompanying them." The scout grinned cockily and leaned back, content with that description.

Sang Kyu focused his attention on Summer and Eunhyuk who both tensed in preparation. "I have spoken with both Kibum and Kangin in regards to your current health and abilities. Kangin has no doubts about your skills, even considering your injuries," he gestured towards the wind elementalist who couldn't help but flush at the comment, unsure if it was a compliment or a slight. "Kibum has assured me that despite that, you are both in remarkably good condition. As such, I have offered your services to both Zhou Mi and Henry as additional protection against the dangers of the road."

The anger that had been blooming across Summer's face at being volunteered for anything without her permission quickly vanished in an instant and she blinked at her father, stunned. "What?" she asked, certain she had heard wrong.

"New gear and weapons have been provided for you and will be in your room when you return for the evening," he continued as if he hadn't heard her.

Eunhyuk grinned at the response and reached out to clap Summer on the shoulder enthusiastically, cringing when he used a little more force than he intended and jarred his arm. He didn't have any words to say, but it was obvious he was quite happy with that news, even if she was still letting the idea sink in.

"As long as he takes care not to do anything foolish with it," Kibum started with a raised brow at the exchange, having not missed the over enthusiasm, "he should be fine. Especially since he compensates remarkably well with his off-hand." The unexpected compliment made Eunhyuk blush slightly. For him, it was as natural as breathing, but apparently it was something that most others really had to work at.

Summer looked around the table and met the gazes of those there, including her mother who was actually smiling with a very satisfied expression. "Thank you, father. I don't know what else to say," she started quietly.

Sang Kyu waved her words away and took a sip of his wine. "There is nothing to thank me for. I expect you to uphold the Silverberg name as you guard the minstrels," he told her firmly. "They are to be your priority on the road," he explained, completely serious.

The minstrels had to hide their smiles behind their cups and it was easy to see that none of them were actually taken in by his firm words. "I is sure they will do fine," Hangeng rescued them, surprisingly enough as he leaned forward and took a sip of his own goblet, his eyes smiling over the rim of the cup as he glanced at the elementalists.

"We will be glad for their company," Zhou Mi assured Sang Kyu solemnly.

Myung Hee reached a hand over and laid it lightly on top of Sang Kyu's, smiling reassuringly when he glanced over at her. He reciprocated the gesture with his other hand when he set the goblet on the table. She spoke to the pair next and nodded, "You will have an early start in the morning. I suggest you get some rest this evening." Her attention swung back to Sang Kyu and she placed a hand on his back as she stood up. "Come on, dear. We should retire as well."

Having said what he intended to say, Sang Kyu just looked tired. Quickly, he finished his wine and stood up next to Myung Hee. "Of course. Gentlemen. Summer," he inclined his head slightly as he bid them goodnight.

Once the heads of the household had stepped out, it did not take long for the rest to follow. Hangeng pleaded he still had some last minute preparations to attend to and Kangin just wanted to go to bed. Kibum explained he needed to see to the medical supplies he would be sending with them before he ducked out in turn.

Still sitting next to Eunhyuk, Henry reached out and smacked the slender man on the back of his shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Looks like we'll be seeing a bit more of you both then," he grinned.

Zhou Mi stood up on the other side of him and looked down at the pair. "We will be leaving early in the morning, though. As such, we must bid you a good night. Sleep well lady Summer. Eunhyuk." With that, he reached down to prompt Henry to stand and had the younger man follow him out.

"Come on, Summer," Eunhyuk encouraged when they were left.

She was still alternately frustrated and happy with her father. "Ugh!" she exclaimed at last when no other coherent words would come to her. It quickly devolved into a quiet fit of laughter as she felt tears sting her eyes.

"It's alright, Summer," Eunhyuk assured her as he reached out to place one hand on her opposite shoulder and the other on her closest arm, feeling himself about ready to cry just because she was.

"Stubborn old man," she laughed as she scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Yeah. I guess he is," Eunhyuk agreed as he stood up and moved to help her stand too. "Come on," he sniffed as he rubbed the side of his face on his shoulder and shifted his hands to merely guide her when she pushed herself up.

"I'm coming," she assured him quietly, still laughing through her tears.

Together, they made their way out into the lounge and down the hall to the Wind room. They were glad they didn't see anyone else out and about, having retired as they had said they would. When they stepped into the room, they immediately saw two folded pair of clothes at the foot of the bed, topped by a slender, cloth wrapped package. They both smiled when they noticed that the clothes looked remarkably like the ones that Myung Hee, Autumn and Amber had been working on earlier.

Carefully, they removed the packages and untied them easily. More tears threatened when they saw that each had been given a new sai to complement the one that they had originally. The sets looked mismatched but it meant a lot that they might think they wanted to keep the original set, or what they had of it. Reluctantly, they folded the weapons back up and set them on the table with the set of clothes. Neither had any doubt they'd fit just fine. For now, sleep was calling and they were not going to argue. When they did lie down, they were mildly concerned they wouldn't be able to drift off. They needn't have been worried.

Predawn was there before they knew it and they didn't even need the assistance of Mi Cha who made sure they were awake before disappearing into the hallway again. Filled with nervous energy, they took turns dressing as one stepped out to let the other have that privacy. Breakfast was a blur as they were given hot rolls they were far more used to before they were bustled out into the still dim morning light where Henry, Zhou Mi and Hangeng were already waiting. Hangeng's horse was a deep dark brown color but he looked black in the dim lighting and he fidgeted while they waited, shifting from foot to foot so that the scout had to rein him in a time or two.

Lute was ready in the traces of the cart and Henry and Zhou Mi were seated at the front, ready to go. The violinist stepped to the back to give them a hand up and they hurriedly took their places in the bed of the horse drawn vehicle and looked around, surprised to see additional packs. At Henry's nudge, they looked back at the front of the manor and couldn't help but smile.

The rest of the Silverberg family had threaded out to see them off. Sang Kyu still looked stoic but the rest of the members were smiling and waving. As Zhou Mi clucked to Lute to get her moving after Henry had taken his seat, Summer looked back and waved enthusiastically. Quietly, she whispered under her breath, "Thank you," so that only Eunhyuk was able to hear the quiet sentiment.

As they pulled away, he reached a comforting hand out and rested it against her back. When the family stepped inside, the elementalists looked ahead with a feeling of excitement and nervous dread warring within them. They were finally back on their way again. It had taken them two days, needed recovery time for sure, but they had no idea how their friends were or what had become of them. At best, they might be able to reconvene in the city and at worst, they would have to face Enrhyll alone. There was so much they didn't know and that was perhaps the worst part, but at least they were finally going to find out.


	31. Chapter 31

The feeling of waking up in a soft bed for the first time in days was both welcome and alarming. Kyuhyun bolted upright when consciousness fully returned, his eyes wild and his heart racing as he remembered the events that had happened just before unconsciousness. Immediately, he recognized Kwan sitting next to his bed and in reaction, he reached for the flames he knew were just beneath the surface. Surprise and alarm flit across his features when nothing happened and he frowned when he heard soft, amused laughter on his other side.

"It won't work," Hana smiled smugly, one leg crossed gracefully over the other while she lounged in a stiff backed chair.

Kyuhyun growled and moved as if to go after her but a sword that came to rest against his shoulder made him pause abruptly when Kwan stepped up, the blade sliding free from the sheath with a quiet whisper. The captain was not wearing his customary set of armor but that did not mean he wasn't armed as he quite adequately proved. "Calm down," Kwan murmured softly, his tone neutral but there was an underlying edge to it as he eyed Hana in brief disapproval.

Reluctantly, the fire elementalist settled himself back in the bed and glared at both of his 'guests'. It did not take him long to get a handle on his current situation and after the initial surprise of waking in a strange place, he was able to discern that he had been washed and changed while he was unconscious.

He was currently in a very comfortable sleeping shift but the fact remained, liberties had been taken with his person without his permission and he was inordinately unhappy about that. Nor did it escape him that Eleanara was nowhere to be found in this room either. "I will not calm down," he spat instead, arms crossed defiantly across his chest as he continued to try and call his power, with no success.

"Then don't calm down," Hana stated as she stood up and walked over closer to where Kwan was standing. "But you will listen and you will behave," she stated bluntly, her expression severe. Why Enrhyll wished to entertain these ungrateful wretches was beyond her, but if it made him happy…

"Hana," Kwan murmured in quiet warning, his own expression displeased.

The neutralizer glared at him but refrained from saying anything further. Instead, she focused back on Kyuhyun and sighed heavily. "Lord Enrhyll has commanded your presence in the throne room once you have been made to appear presentable," she explained succinctly, relaying the message she had been given.

Kyuhyun laughed roughly and shook his head. "No."

"What?" she asked, briefly confused by the absurd response.

"I said no," he reiterated slowly, as one would to a child.

Kwan's mouth pulled up in the slightest of smirks, quickly wiped away before she had a chance to see it when she grew cross. "No is not an option for you," she snapped waspishly. "Now since you're awake, get up so that you can get dressed," the annoyed woman grumbled as she stalked closer to the bed.

Before she had gotten very far, Kwan reached out to bar her from moving any further and she glared at him until he explained, "You may wish to keep your distance." He was rewarded by an angry scowl from Kyuhyun who had been waiting for her to get close enough for him to reach her. Neither of them missed her hand as it drifted to her hip where her dagger was still sheathed, a dark expression on her face at the implied threat.

Still angry, Kyuhyun eventually pushed the covers back and ignored Hana as he focused on Kwan instead. "Where's Eleanara?"

"Safe. Like you," Kwan answered honestly. It had not been his idea to separate them, but he gained nothing in keeping the information from him.

His response made Kyuhyun laugh, a harsh and disbelieving sound. "Safe," he scoffed before he shook his head and finally threw his legs over the side, looking at Hana out of the corner of his eye as she took a step back, her hand still hovering near the dagger and her eyes piercing. While he did not believe this place was in the least bit safe, he was inclined to believe that she was at least alright, given his current condition. Kwan was an ass but he was not, as of yet, a liar. He was certainly more inclined to trust him than the angry woman beside him at any rate.

Kwan maintained his hand on the sword at his hip; the blade was back in its sheathe but it was clear that he was alert and ready. With a gesture to Hana to step back, he shifted so that the elementalist would be able to get out of bed without getting too close. He did not much like the way the young man was eyeing his sword. There was too much familiarity there and it wasn't just the nervous attention of one who didn't want to be accosted by it.

The rest, though a forced one, had been very good for Kyuhyun, but it had done little to restore his flagging energy as they had both been dealing with a lack of food. Feeling as weak as he did was not an experience he relished, particularly with a hostile woman who refused to stop glaring at him and the captain he loathed. At the foot of the bed, he saw that clothes had been laid out for him already and he eyed them with obvious distaste. They were a great deal more formal than he was used to and they didn't look particularly comfortable. A glance down slowly forced him to adjust his thinking in that regard. While comfortable, the sleeping shift did little to inspire any sort of confidence or engender a feeling of actually being dressed… "Do I get no privacy?" he asked with an arched brow, glaring back at Hana who smirked.

"No. You don't," she answered instantly. She was not going to let him out of her sight as he was absolutely volatile. She could feel him still trying, here and there, to summon his element. "You can change right there," she suggested harshly, amused by his obvious discomfit.

With a scowl, he snatched the clothes up from the bed and held them up. The predominant color was orange, which he figured was supposed to go along with his element and while the pants were at least roomy and made of a soft material, he did not favor the white, short sleeved undershirt that clung more than he was used to, or the overlying robe. Kwan did him the favor of stepping between him and Hana, hiding her from sight, but he did not ask her to leave, fully aware of what she was there for. Kyuhyun's scowl remained but he finally relented and hurried to change, frowning fiercely around the captain as Hana took great pleasure in furthering his discomfort and looking around the barrier.

Once dressed, the clothes were more comfortable than he thought they would be, though the long sleeves of the robe would be a bit of a hindrance and the deep blue sash was awkward to tie. He quickly refused Kwan's offer of assistance and manhandled it into a semblance of what he imagined it was supposed to be. "Happy?" he muttered with a distasteful curl to his lip.

"Content," Kwan supplied instead with a nod in his direction. At last, he moved out of the way and Hana was able to see the young man fully dressed again.

"He is nothing compared to Lord Enrhyll," she expressed with a bored look on her face.

"He is nothing compared to lord Enrhyll," Kyuhyun mimicked her in his best snarky tone of voice. "Like I care."

She grumbled ineffectively for a moment before she went to the door to his room and flung it open, banging the handle loudly against the wall. "Move," she commanded as she pointed out the open doorway, a severe glower on her face.

"Come on, Kyuhyun," Kwan prompted with a raised hand towards the door. "The sooner you leave here, the sooner you will see Eleanara too," he reminded the young man softly.

The fire elementalist growled under his breath but the final reminder finally drove him to comply and he stalked out, his eyes focused on Hana. Maybe this time he could actually get close. At Kwan's presence at his side, he sighed and bit his tongue. No. He was leaving little to chance. She turned to lead the way before he could get close enough anyway, to his consternation.

Once outside the room, his focus was diverted by the enormity of the palace and the finery of the adornments within. He had never seen such ornate decorations as the statues, manicured plants, tapestries and paintings that were displayed everywhere. He glared darkly at the newest pictures done of Enrhyll, posing with arms open wide or seated in his throne. A touch at his arm prompted him to turn when he would have gone straight otherwise and before he knew it, they were back in the throne room he had first met the tyrant in.

A table had been set in front of the raised dais where Enrhyll was now sitting, facing the doorway so as to see who entered his domain immediately. Kyuhyun froze as soon as he spotted him, anger and disgust suffusing him instantly. The tyrant stood when the elementalist was escorted in, his attention shifting immediately from the other person at the table easily. It took Kyuhyun a second to realize that it was Eleanara who was seated at the table and not some fancy noblewoman dressed in ornate white robes. She looked at him with a vaguely confused, pleading expression which baffled him further.

"Kyuhyun," Enrhyll smiled in greeting as he gestured to the seat at his right, directly across from Eleanara. "Welcome," he went on as he waited for the young man to sit down before he took his seat.

Despite Kyuhyun's reservations, Kwan was persistent in assisting him to find his seat, to Enrhyll's annoyance. He calmed himself quickly upon sitting down though and regarded both the light and fire elementalists with a charming smile, apparently pleased by their company and their appearance. Hana and Kwan moved around to either side of Enrhyll, watchful but not a part of the meal by any means.

The table itself was set with all manner of delicacies, most of which looked incredibly appetizing. Unfortunately, with their present company, neither was particularly hungry. They looked at each other uncertainly across the array of food and eyed Enrhyll with confusion. His current treatment of them made no sense whatsoever. Attempt to kill them yesterday aside, he was treating them as guests…

Under the pretense of eating, both reached for utensils which included a knife. It was by no means as sharp as a dagger, but it was still a knife. Eleanara managed to drop hers into her lap but Kyuhyun was still under scrutiny from Kwan and Hana both.

The captain stepped forward to retrieve the utensil from the elementalist but was stalled by Enrhyll. "Kwan. Leave him be," he stated softly, feeling magnanimous. If they still felt the need to arm themselves for fear of him, then he could indulge that for at least a little while. He focused his piercing gaze on them and then gestured at the grandness around him. "What do you think of my palace?" he asked simply, eager to hear their response.

"It's not yours," Eleanara stated quietly, her hands folded in her lap, long sleeves hiding the knife still hidden there.

"Of course it's mine," he retorted instantly, a cross expression on his face.

"Only because you took it," Kyuhyun added on the other side, his expression grim.

Enrhyll leveled a superior look on the fire elementalist and raised a brow. "They did not recognize my greatness. It was my _right_ to take this place as mine!" he stated vehemently, stabbing the table with one forceful finger.

Kyuhyun scoffed with a sneer as he looked over at Eleanara and shook his head in disgust. "You're no better than a bandit."

"I am a god!" Enrhyll declared firmly as his fist hit the table, making several dishes rattle noisily. The four nearest to him flinched at the unexpected sound and shifted nervously. "Why else would you have come here?" he asked suddenly, looking from elementalist to elementalist. "What other reason is there than to love me as your god? I, who am perfect in every way."

Eleanara and Kyuhyun exchanged disbelieving glances. "You're nothing but a murdering tyrant. Why in the hell would we love you?" Kyuhyun demanded with a snarl as he surged to his feet, knocking the chair out from under him.

Hana flinched when she felt the abrupt surge in his attempt to call his power again. Stubbornly, she pressed down on his flames, aware that the wall sconces in the room flickered wildly despite her efforts. "My lord. Perhaps they are still a bit easily excitable," she suggested mildly, her attention focused on the fire elementalist.

Enrhyll regarded the angry Kyuhyun with real confusion and then annoyance. This kitten was going to be more work than he had anticipated. "Sit down," he waved in annoyance as Kwan stepped up.

The Captain moved close to Kyuhyun with his sword drawn, wary of the elementalist. "Kyuhyun," he stated firmly, his voice quiet in the open room. The fire elementalist growled in frustration and eased up just a hair on his power. He reached down to retrieve the chair he had knocked over and smirked when his dark eyes spotted Eleanara.

Mostly forgotten in Kyuhyun's attention grabbing power play, Eleanara adjusted the knife in her hand and slipped out of her chair quietly. As much as she wanted to aim for Enrhyll, there was little point since he could heal himself and his neutralizer was still subduing their power. Instead, she aimed for Hana. The light elementalist had never had much physical prowess but with training, she had become at least fairly proficient in a dagger fight and speed was her ally more than anything else. Swiftly, she closed the distance between her and the neutralizer, cursing quietly when the other woman noticed her at the last minute.

Hana cried out in surprise when she noticed the light elementalist approaching her swiftly. Her control over Kyuhyun wavered for an instant and he felt it, even as she shifted her attention to draw the dagger at her hip to deflect the fierce attack on her person. While the flickering flames on the walls rose up angrily, she deflected her attacker with significant difficulty, screaming in pain when the blade dug into her forearm when she failed to block properly.

In the next instant, Eleanara was flung back as a massive gust of biting wind caught her completely off guard. The knife thudded on the carpeted floor, skidding away from her swiftly while she came to rest and painfully tried to get back to her feet.

"Nara!" Kyuhyun cried as he slowly began to manifest a shimmering ball of fire before him. With Hana distracted, he could work, but not well. Enrhyll reached out to contest the building flames, stalling them in place by manipulating the budding fire where it grew.

Kwan hesitated for a moment. His sword was still drawn and it did not appear as if Kyuhyun was even aware he was still there. Part of him wanted to let the boy keep pressing his attack, but he knew at this point that he would not have a chance to succeed. Before either Enrhyll or Hana could notice his hesitation, he sheathed the sword in one smooth movement before he grabbed Kyuhyun by the back of the neck and rammed his head down against the table, stunning him immediately. "Calm down," he growled quietly into the dazed elementalist's ear.

His focus shattered, the flames along the walls subsided to a normal size and he swayed where he stood, supported by Kwan's restraining hands. The fire before him dissipated slowly, spun back to nothingness by Enrhyll who appraised him with a moody expression.

Hana retrieved a wounded Eleanara, her uninjured hand threaded through the smaller woman's hair savagely. "Bow before Lord Enrhyll!" she snarled angrily as she forced the light elementalist towards the still seated Enrhyll.

Eleanara shrieked as her hair felt almost as if it was being torn from her scalp before she ended up in a heap on the floor just in front of Enrhyll. Her breathing was elevated and shaky as she clasped her left arm around her tender ribs and glared up at the tyrant, a mixture of fear and anger in her eyes.

"Poor child," he murmured softly as he reached out a hand to place it on her head. She tried to flinch away but Hana grabbed hold of the back of her hair again and forced her to be still. Easily, Enrhyll healed the harm he had caused and shifted his hand from the top of her head to her cheek. "Who has lied to you? Who has told you that I am not your god?" he asked, his voice deceptively persuasive.

"You're not a god!" she denied vehemently, reaching up to push his hand away with hers. A whimper escaped her when Hana yanked her hair again.

"Shhh," Enrhyll soothed softly as he grabbed her head in both of his hands. "You must be so confused," he sighed sadly. "Let me help you forget those lies," he cooed while he called upon shadow.

A shadow she could not see slid over Eleanara and she felt her memories slipping away from her and becoming fuzzier the longer he focused on her, dark eyes locked with her lighter ones. "No!" she screamed in denial, forcing her eyes shut which only helped to slow the feeling of the encroaching shadow.

Aware once again, Kyuhyun struggled against the stronger Kwan and screamed, "Stop it! Leave her alone, Enrhyll!"

Enrhyll paused for just a second as he kept his hands on either side of Eleanara's head and looked back at the fire elementalist. "It's alright, Kyuhyun. I'll help you next," he promised before focusing his attention back on the woman before him. Eleanara's defiant scream resounded through the room, joined by Kyuhyun's, as they fell upon deaf ears.


	32. Chapter 32

Nervous excitement woke the sleepers long before dawn's light ever touched the cabin. Under normal circumstances, Eun Mi would have suggested they get some more sleep but these were anything but normal times… She was able to at least convince the elementalists to stay in bed resting while she and Yong-Soo prepared breakfast. It was little more than the usual porridge, but her cousin did heat up some of the deer cuts from the other day, adding a welcome bit of meat to their meal. Eun Mi made sure that they all had some more of the herbal tea and plenty of water before they started to get things ready to go.

The wagon had been packed the night before with anything that could be stored, which meant their travel packs predominantly. The food and medicines she had kept indoors for safe keeping. While Yong-Soo took out the rest of the supplies in the first light of dawn, Eun Mi checked the injuries she had been tending carefully. None of them had progressed to a point that she wanted them to be up and about, but by their expressions, she wasn't going to be able to stop them. All she could do now was to assist them in not hurting themselves further.

Yong-Soo came back in to see how they were progressing when Glory had been hooked up to the front of the cart. Kharin was already standing, as expected and she was helping Leeteuk to make his way awkwardly to his feet, the broken ankle still cumbersome even with proper treatment. Siwon made it up with just a little assistance from Eun Mi. It was obvious the two men were still quite sore but they were bearing the strain well. "You guys ready?" he asked quietly into the tense room.

Various positive responses greeted him from the elementalists but Eun Mi only sighed and nodded. "Come on, Teuk," Kharin urged with one of his arms over her shoulders and a supporting arm wrapped around his ribs.

The pair hobbled to the door where Yong-Soo helped get him the rest of the way to the cart, carefully lifting the earth elementalist into the back when Kharin hopped up to pull him from above. Just behind them came Siwon and Eun Mi, still slow but fully functional, even if it did hurt to walk for any length of time. "Nice and easy," she encouraged softly as she mirrored Kharin's supporting position.

"I'm alright," he assured her with a light laugh, amused by her concern. With both her and Kharin pulling from the cart and Yong-Soo lifting him from the ground, getting Siwon settled was considerably less painful than he had anticipated.

The space in the cart was fairly limited when all three of them were seated along with the packs and the food and medicine, but they were happy enough to be in a position to be moving forward more than anything. Eun Mi took the reins on the front bench and Yong-Soo climbed up beside her easily after closing the cabin up and securing the window shut. "It's time," he told her with a steady smile and a reassuring look back at the others.

"I know," she agreed quietly as she played with the reins in her hands. After a moment of quiet thought, she sat up straighter and nodded to herself. "Come on, Glory," she clucked softly, flicking the reins against her gray flanks to prompt her into motion. With a soft whicker of complaint against the extra weight, Glory pulled against the harness and slowly started the cart forward.

Eun Mi guided the cart across the grass to the road in front of the river and followed it toward the port city until there was a small turn off that veered left to join the main road to Lornhaldt. Almost immediately, though it was still early with the sun just rising above the horizon, they were able to notice a definite difference in the other road seeing that there were already a handful of travelers out and about. Mostly they were small carts like the one they were in, but there were a few on foot and a little bit later in the morning, a very expensive looking wagon drawn by a team of four all white horses moved past them quickly on their way to the capitol.

"Why are there so many more people on this road?" Leeteuk asked as he watched another pair of travelers fall behind as the cart passed them.

"Since Enrhyll rose to power, the river road was more or less abandoned. The patrols that found anyone coming down them were suspicious that they were perhaps avoiding the capitol and its new ruler. It became safer simply to brave the main road, even if you really were against Enrhyll," Eun Mi explained softly over her shoulder, a glance around the cart making sure that no one else was within hearing distance.

"And why did they leave you alone?" Kharin asked in return.

"I never said they did," Eun Mi replied, almost flippantly.

"Healers have a bit more protection than most, just by nature of their status, but not all," Yong-Soo explained. "They often took more of our food and supplies than was polite by any means but they left Eun Mi alone."

"Mostly," she amended with a guilty glance at her cousin.

"And I gave as good as I got for their troubles," he reminded her firmly, discounting the beating he had received at their hands as not worth the concern. He had healed well enough and they had left his cousin alone. That had been enough for him.

The elementalists sat back pensively. Kharin was almost sorry she'd asked. Having grown up in the monastery their whole lives, it wasn't until this journey they could acknowledge how sheltered they had been. It did not take a lot for them to understand what the other two had been talking about and even the thought of it cast a pall over the sunny morning.

After an uncomfortable silence, Yong-Soo broke it with a smile and stated, "If we stick to the pace we've currently set, then we should be at Lornhaldt in two days or so."

"Probably a little longer," Eun Mi had to mention with a concerned glance at Glory. The mule wasn't quite so used to pulling as much weight as they were carrying for any great distance or length of time.

"It's still faster than we would have been," Siwon stated with a look at Kharin and Leeteuk who nodded in confirmation.

"How are the others?" Leeteuk asked with a gesture at the water elementalist. "Have you had a chance to see them yet?"

Semi-alarmed by his oversight, Siwon nearly panicked as he reached for the nearest pack, searching for the scrying bowl frantically. "Eun Mi. Where did you put the bowl?"

"It's in your pack," she answered over her shoulder. "The one with the maul attached to it still," she added by way of further explanation.

"This one," Kharin grunted as she hefted it up from behind her and handed it over to Siwon, wincing when the heavy weapon dragged across her thighs.

Quickly, Siwon retrieved the water bowl from within, conjured enough to fill the dish and then stared at it as he held it above his lap. His frustration was evident when he continued to be jostled by the vibrations of the cart which disturbed the water and made it hard to see clearly. "Can we stop for just a moment?" he asked when the ripples kept distorting everything.

"Sure," Eun Mi responded as she pulled Glory off to the side of the road.

When the cart came to a stop, Siwon tried again, focusing first on Summer and Eunhyuk, initially afraid to see the other two after what he had last watched. His smile was genuine when he relayed that both were on the move with Henry and Zhou Mi. "I think they're heading to the capitol too," he laughed, noticing that they were dressed back in more familiar travel clothes and were seated much like they were in the back of the minstrels' cart.

"Do you think we'll be able to find them in the city?" Kharin asked, her voice brimming with hope and an excitement they couldn't help but smile at.

Siwon looked up from the water with a grin, "I think I should be able to assist with that if nothing else." He could see them anywhere.

Not wanting to dampen their spirits any, Leeteuk pointed at the bowl and focused his eyes on Siwon. "The others?" The entire group was nervous about that question and Siwon swallowed as he let the image dissipate in the water.

The water shimmered as he pictured them, frowning when the image fought with his request until he realized that it was because it had been trying to split between two places. He saw Kyuhyun first, in glaring orange robes and looking thoroughly displeased as he noticed the two figures from the other day standing near him. Just ahead of the elementalist was Enrhyll and…Eleanara? He blinked in surprise, taken aback by both of their altered appearances. He mentioned as much but was quickly distracted by Enrhyll. What he would give to be able to hear them talking…

Hanging on his every word as he recounted what he saw in the bowl, the other four held their breath, tense and uncertain as to what they should expect. Siwon fought with the desire to throw the bowl when he watched the brief but surprising scuffle break out. He felt satisfaction when Eleanara struck a blow against the neutralizer and then fear as she was attacked by Enrhyll. "Get up," he whispered, caught in the images as they unfolded.

The water elementalist flinched when Kyuhyun was knocked senseless and then growled at the neutralizer's actions against the light elementalist. "Stop it," he demanded as he saw Enrhyll take her head in his hands. The fear and panic in her eyes was hard to miss; emotions shared by Kyuhyun when he checked on the fire elementalist again. Forcefully, he tore his gaze from the water and stared at Eun Mi. "We have to move. Now," he explained quietly, his arms trembling as he gripped the bowl fiercely.

"What did you see?" Leeteuk asked as he reached out to grab the other man's forearm, bracing himself awkwardly when the cart moved forward again. Siwon's descriptions had become a bit sparser the longer he had watched and so he and Kharin were both left wondering what exactly he had seen.

"I'm not sure," Siwon admitted after a tense pause. "He isn't trying to hurt them…I don't think, but he's definitely doing something… They were both really scared of whatever he was doing."

"Dammit!" Leeteuk muttered darkly. He couldn't protect anybody. Vainly, he looked ahead to see the road before them. In his head, he knew they were going as fast as they could, all things considered, but that didn't make it any easier to bear.

"We're getting there," Kharin assured him firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. Her words to him when they had first climbed out of the river seemed like such a cruel thing now. Would it be better if she had not prompted him to recognize what he felt? No… It was hard now and it would have been just as hard had she said nothing. "And they're still alive," she reminded him forcefully.

He looked up to meet her eyes, a dull fury burning in his own, and took a deep breath. Slowly, he nodded in agreement and reached up to cover her hand with his. So long as they were alive, they could be saved.

"Hey. You guys might want to get down," Yong-Soo prompted after a few seconds had gone by. "There's a patrol ahead," he warned quietly, keeping his gaze forward but speaking loud enough for them to hear.

Abruptly, the three elementalists laid themselves out in the back of the cart and made themselves as flat as they could. They had nothing to cover themselves with but so long as the patrol didn't take the time to peer over the side of the cart, they should be okay.

Eun Mi and Yong-Soo put on fake smiles and ducked their heads respectfully as the patrol got closer. They were on the other side of the road and had a few feet between them but it still made them nervous. It was just a foot patrol so it was likely they were just one that walked the road to Corley Port, but there was no point in taking any chances. A handful of soldiers glanced over at the duo with one or two others eyeing the cart curiously but as their sergeant made no move to apprehend them, they stayed in formation and continued forward.

It wasn't until the patrol was well behind them that the two drivers prompted the elementalists to sit up again. "I think that was just a normal patrol," Eun Mi assured them with a nervous glance over her shoulder again.

"Do you think there will be more?" Siwon asked still cradling the now empty water bowl to his chest.

"Possibly," Yong-Soo agreed with a serious nod. "We'll keep an eye out," he told them warmly.

"You know, we have a ways to go. If you are able, I would recommend getting some more sleep," Eun Mi suggested from her perch. She twisted around to look at them directly and shrugged. Most of her patients would actually listen to her suggestions but she knew better than to expect blind obedience from these three.

Siwon stared at the scrying bowl thoughtfully and finally set it aside. "That is not a bad idea," he concurred. If he slept, he couldn't worry about what he had seen and wouldn't be tempted to agonize over the images he saw in the water. The sun was warm enough to make him comfortable and if the ride wasn't exactly smooth, he still had plenty of healing to do. That alone helped him to nod off as he took deep, calming breaths.

Kharin and Leeteuk declined the suggestion and instead focused on what they had been told. They both wanted to get to the capitol as quickly as possible and while they were equally concerned about the other members of their party, they couldn't deny that this was the longest period of time they had ever been without their other half. Even in the monastery, where you saw one, the other was not usually far behind and here, separated by distance and whatever forces Enrhyll might have to call upon, it was positively maddening.

The road passed by under the wheels of the cart and travelers drifted past. On occasion, they were passed in turn by someone on horseback. Around midday, they agreed to make a rest stop to stretch their legs, but did not stay still for more than ten minutes. They ate on the road as soon as they got started again; more of the deer meat that Yong-Soo had caught and as much water as they cared to drink. Lulled by the steady motion of the cart as it made its way down the road, the elementalists were all almost prompted to sleep in the midday heat.

They had almost decided that might be a good idea until Eun Mi chirped in surprise. "What's that?" she asked, patting Yong-Soo on the arm and pointing ahead of them.

At the same time that she mentioned it, Kharin and Leeteuk perked up with curious expressions on their faces. "Do you feel that?" Leeteuk asked as he looked around in confusion.

"I most certainly do," Kharin murmured in response as she reached for Siwon's maul. They were all wary about using their elements right now but that didn't mean they couldn't recognize the feel of it.

The trio in the back looked over the shoulders of the drivers and squinted at the shifting, hard to see figures ahead of them. There were ripples in the ground accompanied by dark splotches of pure darkness roaming over the ground. In the sky, the easier to see figure of light made it that much harder to notice a few wispy creatures floating around too.

"What are they?" Eun Mi asked nervously as she pulled Glory up, unsure what they should do. The things looked like they were searching as they had established a widespread formation.

The only one to have seen the creation of one in the scrying bowl, Siwon gasped, "They're constructs!"

Concern met his statement and they all focused on the creatures with renewed intensity. Even Eun Mi and Yong-Soo knew what constructs were and they shifted uncomfortably in place. Her cousin reached back and retrieved his bow and arrows, stringing the weapon quickly and settling the quiver against his back. "I don't know if I can do anything, but I'm ready when you guys are," he nodded at the elementalists. There was no way that this was mere coincidence.

"At least they're small…" Kharin muttered in annoyance.

A garbled howl from one of the shadow things alerted them that something had changed. Almost as one, the entire group of constructs angled towards the mule drawn cart. Beyond them, the group could see travelers holding back or fleeing outright. On the path behind them, travelers were beginning to panic, unsure of the target. "I think they can sense us too," Leeteuk commented with a grimace as he eyed the three earth constructs by feel. The ground rippled when they were near the surface but they were otherwise impossible to see. "Watch out!" he cried in warning when he realized that one of them was going for the cart specifically.

His warning might have been heeded had they not been accosted from above by a bevy of wind and light elementals. "Get down!" Yong-Soo yelled as he sighted on one of the nearest creatures, a miniature dragon made out of pure light. He let the arrow fly and it impaled the creature immediately, but did little to stop its forward momentum.

Spooked by the creations all around her, Glory whinnied in fear and bolted, ruining Yong-Soo's attempt to nock another arrow and sending the kneeling Kharin toppling over the side of the cart with a surprised cry, maul still in hand. Eun Mi desperately tried to rein the terrified creature in while Leeteuk and Siwon clung firmly to the sides. A massive arch of water rose above the group in the cart, disrupting the attack pattern of the airborne creatures swiftly as they floundered in the clinging water.

Glory did not manage to get far before two earth constructs shattered the wheels of the cart as they turned, slowing the panicked creature's dash, throwing Yong-Soo and Eun Mi off the front bench and only jarring the elementalists in the back painfully. They both cried out in surprise as two shadow constructs launched themselves onto the lowered cart and attacked the pair.

Reactively, Siwon doused them all in water, washing both the constructs and Leeteuk over the side and onto the ground. Dazed by the friendly fire, Leeteuk was still aware enough to realize he was back on his element. Fervently, he reached for the earth and hauled, ramming a spire through one of the constructs, pinning it in place before the other grabbed his nearest ankle, the broken one, in powerful yet controlled jaws and started dragging him back swiftly, the strength at odds with its size. He screamed harshly as his hands scratched at the packed dirt. The pain in his ankle made it so hard to concentrate. He tried to think…to will something to happen but every time he managed to slow himself down, it would create resistance that amplified the pain in his broken limb.

"Hey!" Yong-Soo cried loudly as he let his arrow fly. The projectile went clean through the shadow construct and it fixed glowing black eyes on him menacingly.

Behind him, Eun Mi had moved around to join Siwon and was throwing everything that came to hand at the creatures. The water elementalist was maintaining a distracting stream of water that helped to keep them at bay but it was clear that he was pinned where he was.

In the rear, Kharin could see everything that was happening and when she finally took stock, she was able to get an idea of what they were up against. She could feel three shadow constructs, knew there were at least two earth ones, and could pick up on three light and at least two wind constructs. The latter was hard to see and harder still to follow with her eyes. She was about to join the fray when a sound under foot distracted her. Almost quicker than she could follow, an earth construct launched itself out of the ground and plowed into her, elongated mouth caught on the handle of the maul. As it bore her to the ground, she screamed and kicked at it, the heavy structure weighing her down. The earth under her felt weak, as if it was trying to swim with her into it and she shuddered. "Oh no you don't," she growled savagely, swallowing them both in an orb of shadow.

She was cast into darkness immediately, but that was exactly what she wanted and before she could even start to worry, she felt them both fall through the ground and landed with a thud in the shadow realm. To her amazement, as soon as the earth construct fell through with her, it began to fall apart, becoming nothing more than dust. The more it struggled, the faster it disintegrated until there was nothing left but a fine powder covering her. With no time to enjoy her victory, she hefted the maul again and sprinted back into the normal realm.

Distracted from above by the flying constructs, Siwon had little time to be worried about anything at his level or lower. "Go away!" he yelled again as he hurled yet another wave of water at the encroaching trio. He never expected the bed of the wagon to collapse with him in it as two powerful pairs of jaws chomped through the wood easily, their maws clacking together loudly. Vainly, he grabbed for something to catch himself on and there was nothing… "Kharin! Leeteuk!" he cried in warning, beseechingly before he fell between the constructs and into the very ground itself as if it were water.

"Siwon!" Kharin screamed as she came pounding up. Still moving, she saw a shadow construct coming up behind the healer and she sounded a warning, "Eun Mi. Get down!" Without hesitation, the young woman listened and fell prone to the ground, her eyes tightly clenched. Kharin hauled the maul back and leaped forward, straight at the lupine creature as it bounded for her in turn. Fiercely, she swung her weapon with all her strength at the creature, catching it full in the head. The head caved in and crumpled before the construct turned to smoke and dissipated swiftly.

"Kharin!" Leeteuk cried as he held an earth construct at bay directly in front of him, the creature seemingly frozen in place. She could see it coming apart at the seams but he had more trouble than just that one. Another trio of flying creatures swooped down on him from above; two light dragons and a wind serpent. Yong-Soo desperately tried to deter them with more arrows but his weapon just did not have much of an effect on them. Another shadow beast moved in to harry him and he wasn't able to assist Leeteuk anymore.

"Hold on!" she cried, moving to intercept the attackers before the sound of wings above her forced her to change her plan. Still standing protectively over Eun Mi, she pivoted swiftly and threw a wave of shadow blades up into the air. It didn't matter that she had little control over them now as she meant to destroy them. The dark blades hummed like a small swarm as the multitude of projectiles filled the air above her, decimating the four flying creatures she was finally able to count.

At the use of such power, she swayed briefly and felt her eyes unfocus for just a second. She reached a hand out to steady herself and staggered, crying out, "Leeteuk!" as she forced blurry eyes to watch when he tore the earth construct apart but was subsequently hefted into the air by the three flying creatures that latched onto his clothes and circled him with a long sinuous body. The earth elementalist flailed wildly as he was pulled away from the grounding power of his element and he seemed to struggle less the higher they took him.

"Gyah!" she cried, venting her frustration and helplessness by grabbing hold of the shadow construct assaulting Yong-Soo and pulling it to pieces in fury. He looked back at her in confusion which quickly turned to gratitude when he realized what had happened. The persistent feeling that there was still another one here bothered her but she realized what it was when she looked down. The third shadow construct was hounding her shadow… It was not big enough to leap through, but she could see it quite nicely. "Stay here," she told the two still left as Yong-Soo was slowly trying to calm the trapped and still panicking Glory.

"Let's play," she growled before engulfing herself in shadow and falling through to meet the construct. It did not give her much time to orient herself, but she was ready and reached out to restrain it, her power straining to fulfill her request. Stiff legged, the creature continued to walk towards her, phantom teeth bared. Suddenly, she smiled and stopped trying to hold it where it was. It lunged at her and she assisted it in pulling it forward and up over her. As it continued to arc over her head, she swung the maul above her and felt the metal head impact the creature and then continue through it, turning it to smoke as it was split in two.

With a muffled thud, the maul thunked into the pseudo ground and she fell to her knees in front of it, supporting her body with the handle. She had not moved from the sphere of shadow she had created so returning was a simple matter of willing it to happen. Once out of the shadow realm, it was harder still to force her reluctant body off the ground and out of the darkness she had created.

"Kharin!" Eun Mi cried in relief as she hurried over to the elementalist. With practiced ease, she aligned herself next to the other woman and wordlessly supported her, gesturing at her cousin impatiently. "Hurry up, Yong-Soo."

"I'm coming," he assured her once he was positive Glory was going to be alright. The mule was still a bit on the wild-eyed side but she had calmed down and was no longer trying to run away blindly. Easily, he took the maul from her unresisting grip and supported her on the other side as they made their way to the wrecked cart.

"Are you alright?" Eun Mi asked her when they deposited her carefully on the remains of the driving bench.

Kharin looked up to meet the healer's gaze, her green eyes shadowed and conflicted. "No," she answered simply. There was nothing wrong with her physically, but she had not been able to protect them. All she had been able to do was protect herself. "I failed them," she admitted quietly as she looked down at her trembling hands.

Eun Mi pursed her lips and glanced at her cousin. She grabbed the nearest pack and hauled out the waterskin before pressing it firmly into Kharin's hands. "Drink," she told her simply and then went back to the remains of the wagon and made herself very busy.

Yong-Soo took a seat next to her and gently lifted the waterskin up to her lips with one hand. "You saved us," he told her after a pause where she did drink, more on reflex than anything else.

"And we're going after them," Eun Mi assured them both as she hauled a makeshift double travel sack over Glory's withers, startling the mule briefly before she subsided. Her patients had been taken away but they knew where they were headed and it wasn't as if anything else had changed. Kharin looked up in surprise and blinked several times as new life slowly came into her again. "Come on," the healer urged as she reached down and grabbed Kharin's hands firmly. "You're just tired. That's all. Once we get moving, you'll see," she assured the young woman, forcing a smile as she recognized the familiar symptoms of exhaustion. It had been an impressive display of power to see but it had its costs as well.

Yong-Soo stood up and walked them over to Glory. "You'll get there much faster if you ride her," he told them with a wistful look up the road.

Both women stopped to look at him and his cousin shook her head, "We're not leaving you behind."

He laughed at her concern and then placed a hand on her head warmly. "Glory can't carry three and you'll need all the time you can get," he told her with a bittersweet smile. "Besides. I'll be right behind you," he winked with a forced grin. "I've got enough supplies here," he reminded her forcefully with a gesture at the trashed cart.

Kharin offered him a sad smile and then reached for the maul. "Thank you," she spoke softly as the weight settled in her hands and he nodded in understanding. She turned to slide the weapon into a strap on the packs and waited as Eun Mi struggled with her cousin's decision.

"Go," he nodded at the mule. "If anyone is hurt, they'll need you more than me," he shrugged.

The healer worked her jaw but no words came out. Finally, she stepped up to him and threw her arms around his ribs. "You better be okay," she muttered into his chest.

"That goes double for you," he replied as he wrapped his arms around her. He gave her one good squeeze before he pushed her back and walked her to Glory. "Come on. Speed is important here." Easily, he hauled her up onto the mule's back and waited as she adjusted herself. "Your turn, Kharin," he urged, offering to assist her.

Kharin looked to the back of the mule and up the road. She had never been riding before and had no idea how she was going to do so, but it was the fastest way to the capitol at present so that was what she was going to do. With a quick nod, she accepted his assistance, using his hands as a step and swinging up behind Eun Mi. Tightly, she held onto the smaller woman's waist and marveled at the shifting creature beneath her.

"Good riding," he waved before he freed Glory from the traces and smacked her on the rump, sending her trotting down the road quickly. As they drew out of sight, he turned back to the wagon and started picking through what was left. What a mess…


	33. Chapter 33

The nervous tension that had plagued Summer and Eunhyuk lessened but did not dissipate entirely when they were finally underway towards the capitol. They were in good company and the minstrels did much in keeping their minds off of what was to come, but it could not block out their concerns entirely. With nothing to show that any of their friends were alive or even going to be there, the rest of their journey would be fraught with uncertainty and the very real concern of how to beat Enrhyll.

Zhou Mi and Henry were good at keeping things light with a bevy of songs and funny tales and even Hangeng had his fair share of amusing stories to pull from, but it really could only distract them so much. The road stretched out before them, spotted with a handful of travelers; most of whom seemed oblivious to the state of the bridge. There were just as many heading the direction they were as not so it was hard to say… The majority of them gave way before the cart and some actually waved in friendly greeting, which the minstrels returned with a flourish.

"How long have you been traveling for?" Eunhyuk finally asked later in the morning when yet another person seemed to recognize the minstrels.

"Hmm… I would say about six years," Zhou Mi offered with a shrug. At their look of surprise, he elaborated, "I started with my parents but when my father fell ill and passed away, mother just stopped wanting to travel. She went to live with her sisters and I stayed on the road. She graciously gave me Lute and the cart," he shrugged in explanation. He reached over and clapped Henry on the shoulder and smiled warmly with laughter in his voice, "And I picked up this vagabond in Lornhaldt about three years ago, was it?"

Henry grinned in response and nodded in agreement. "I was just working the street corners like usual and here comes Zhou Mi. He just walked right up to where I was, bowed politely and then joined me with his harp, following my lead effortlessly. We made more than double what I usually did that day," he chuckled in fond remembrance.

Zhou Mi shrugged but he continued to smile. "I wanted a partner and he is gifted. A blind man could have seen that."

Henry flushed at the complement and ducked his head in embarrassment. "It's been a good run so far," he agreed. "Better than living on my own any day." Unlike Zhou Mi, the violinist had run away from home because his family had made it very clear that he was going to do what they told him to and that did not include playing an instrument or dancing…at all. His father had been little more than a dock worker and he had been expected to follow in his steps. That had simply not been enough for Henry so he took what few belongings he had, including a worn but functional violin, and just left.

"And they was able to meet me, too," Hangeng winked playfully, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Indeed, sir Hangeng," Zhou Mi bowed at the waist in the scout's direction.

"We'd seen them a time or two in the city before Enrhyll rise to power," he explained to the elementalists in the back, drifting closer to the cart to speak with them better. "When the Silverburgs were barred from the city, they stopped by to give them news and visit."

"And that is when master Sang Kyu requested we stay to assist his children with what they would consider court lessons," Zhou Mi gestured, his manner indicating that the musical arts were far more than mere lessons to them.

"Well that certainly explains a lot," Summer smiled, remembering how her sisters fawned over the minstrels.

"Don't you ever get worried with being on the road by yourselves?" Eunhyuk asked in concern. Their own experiences had been interesting to say the least…

The pair shrugged. "Most leave us well enough alone," Henry stated somewhat nonchalantly.

"Thieves tend to realize we don't have anything much worth taking and your average person enjoys our company enough to let us be," Zhou Mi added with a glance over his shoulder. Offhandedly, he waved at another small group of travelers who had been smiling and pointing at the pair, though the young woman who appeared to be their daughter looked quite taken by Hangeng as her eyes followed him long after the group had moved by.

He grinned despite himself and then pulled his attention back to the group. "So what is it like to be an elementalist?" he finally managed to ask, his curiosity getting the better of him. He understood what they were able to do and had heard the tale of where they had come from, but that said nothing about how it affected a person. Undoubtedly, it was nothing like being a scout or a minstrel.

The elementalist and the neutralizer looked at each other, not quite sure how to respond to the question. Eunhyuk finally took over considering he was the only elementalist here, and spoke, "It's almost exactly like it was before we were given our power, but you are more aware of your element. Siwon could sense a storm coming just before we ran across you guys on the road," he laughed.

"That was a nasty storm too," Henry recalled with a shudder.

"Sometimes a waterproof cover is just not enough," Zhou Mi added with an amused sigh. They had been caught between stops on that one. It was part of the reason they had gotten mired in the first place.

"Agreed," Eunhyuk laughed. Their own waterproof cloaks had provided little cover from the storm when the sky had opened up. He sobered quickly though when he recalled Hangeng's question. "That aside, being an elementalist is a lot more of a responsibility than I thought it would be. We have these powers that no one else does and it really just…it really…it's a lot sometimes," he admitted finally, struggling to describe it adequately.

Summer reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. She took over at that point and leveled her gaze at the others. "We have our troubles, just like everyone else, but then some." Her mouth turned down into a frown and she sighed. "Hyuk was right when he said we weren't ready for what being an elementalist meant. Even I admit that and I've been a Neutralizer for as long as I can remember…"

Hangeng looked alternately confused and sorry for having brought the subject up. He had figured it would be happier and well, more magical, having such powers as they did. "So do you not get to have fun?" he queried. He had seen them enjoying themselves in the manor but they weren't using their abilities then.

Startled by the question, both Summer and Eunhyuk shook their heads and hurried to answer. The wind elementalist grinned and tossed a stray gust at Hangeng who looked surprised when it tousled his hair before sliding past. "We have plenty of fun with it," he winked, laughing as the scout fixed his hair with a scowl and then unbent enough to laugh with them. "It's just both, I guess. And being with the others made it easier," he sighed, his gaze traveling up the road again.

"Understandably," Zhou Mi agreed sagely, his expression respectful. After a brief pause, he deftly turned the fluctuating conversation to something a bit lighter, trying to keep their spirits up. They had some ground to cover but it should only take them just under two days at most. That left them plenty of time to brood if he and Henry allowed it, which he had no intention of doing if at all possible.

After a few riveting adventure tales with some comic relief, they found the tension dissipating again and the elementalists faces weren't as clouded. Hangeng was tired from laughing so hard and let his horse have his way, meandering next to them on the road in a steady zigzag pattern. Just before midday, they slowed for food and paused briefly to stretch their legs. Lute was given a bit of feed and some water during their break as a handful of travelers made their way past them in either direction. Hangeng's horse Rider cropped grass on the side of the road while he stood nearby keeping an eye on him.

Eunhyuk and Henry were demonstrating dance steps briefly when Summer approached them at the front and laid a hand on the elementalist's shoulder with her eyes fixed forward. "Something's coming," she warned quietly with a worried glance at their companions. She could feel traces of four different element types much like she had when they were fighting the constructs.

Eunhyuk paused and focused ahead in turn, his eyes widening in surprise when he felt the corresponding element in the air. Nervously, they looked around, lamenting the lack of cover and their own inability to decide what to do. "We have a problem," he finally admitted to the rest of the group.

"What's wrong?" Hangeng asked as he led Rider over to the group again.

"Why are they stopping ahead of us?" Henry asked as he shielded his eyes from the sun and watched the few people immediately ahead of them bunching together and then freezing in place.

"There's something heading this way," Zhou Mi explained from his vantage on the top of the cart. "What are those?" he asked, catching glimpses of hard to see creatures on the ground and in the air.

Summer recognized them first and she called the alarm, "By the gods. They're constructs! Small ones but there are so many of them…" She paled at the realization and gave up on trying to count the various types. Hurriedly, she clambered back onto the cart and gestured for the others to do the same. "Come on. Time to go," she encouraged, her gaze fixed determinedly on the oncoming creatures.

It did not take the others more than a few seconds to get on the cart or for Hangeng to swing back into place in the saddle. Rider shifted nervously beneath him as he caught sight of the strange creatures. More so than his rider, he also sensed the constructs in the earth and it made him more nervous than usual.

Zhou Mi snapped the reins as soon as they were settled and Lute nervously ambled forward, reluctant to pick up speed. Henry reached down under the seat of the cart and retrieved a set of short swords. They were nothing fancy but he gave one to Zhou Mi, who shifted his grip on the reins to accommodate the new item, and held the other one with an air of familiarity.

Carefully, Summer and Eunhyuk steadied themselves in the back, holding the side with one hand as they focused on their opponents. There was no doubt in their minds that these were sent by Enrhyll. He was the only one who would do such a thing in the first place. "Be careful," Summer warned to the others. "There's something in the ground too." She could still feel them swimming there, hiding beneath the surface; it was a disconcerting and frightening realization. For now, she focused on the things she could see. How many…?

She had little time to try and count them again before the creatures were upon them. With a glance at her companion, she shifted her attention from the sky to the ground since he had flying creatures seemingly under control. There were four shadow constructs that were quickly moving to flank both the cart and Hangeng. Immediately, she reached for all of them and felt as if she was pushing against a wall again. They all slowed down but she failed to stop them and while she was focusing on those, the ones under the ground made their way inexorably towards the group.

The brash scout kicked his fidgety mount forward to charge the outermost shadow construct and it angled to follow him, straining against the invisible force that slowed it down. Unimpeded by the neutralizer as of yet, an earth construct rippled through the surface of the ground and snapped at the feet of his horse, panicking the creature so that it leaped over the attacker and threw the unprepared Hangeng into the air. He cried out in surprised fear, arms wind milling ineffectively before he crashed into the ground, sword still gripped tightly in his hand.

Zhou Mi pulled the cart up sharply when they approached the prone Hangeng and Henry bounded off to assist him, short sword brandished in front. "Wait!" the elder of the two cried out, reaching after the sprinting young man.

Henry paid him no mind as he leaped at the nearest shadow construct, sword poised above him. With a concentrated growl, he swung down and gasped in surprise when the creature bit the blade of his sword, stopping the attack instantly. Thus distracted, it missed Hangeng's retaliatory attack that sliced clean through the neck, beheading it instantly. Before the head had even hit the ground, the creature had dissipated into smoke, blown away by the increasing wind.

Around them, the nearest shadow construct unraveled swiftly and the other two stopped advancing entirely. A glance at Summer showed her concentrating fiercely as she pulled at the threads that held them together. Next to her, Eunhyuk had the flying constructs corralled by a heavy stream of wind tumbling them together above them. As another shadow construct unraveled while Hangeng and Henry moved to take care of the final one, it seemed things were well in hand until Lute panicked abruptly, rearing in place and tilting the cart in turn, tumbling Zhou Mi over the driver's seat, bumping into both Summer and Eunhyuk as he fell, breaking their concentration.

The terrified horse surged forward, veering from the remaining shadow construct and the two attackers on foot. At the sudden shift in direction, the centrifugal force of the unexpected turn tossed Summer over the side and she saw Zhou Mi reaching for her before she hit the ground painfully, curling into a ball to absorb as much of the force as she could. "Summer!" she heard from Eunhyuk before she finally came to a stop.

The flying constructs scattered immediately as the wind faded and while a group of three light and one wind constructs broke off towards Henry and Hangeng, the remaining four wind constructs spiraled down towards the two in the cart in a spread out formation. Zhou Mi scrambled desperately to the front of the wagon and lunged over the seat to reach for the dangling reins, leaving the sword in the bed of the cart so he could grab the frame for better support. Eunkhyuk reached up at the wind constructs and felt the element respond and then resist his command as they flowed jerkily through the air, fighting his restraint.

Freed from constraint, the shadow construct leaped at Henry, bowling the young man over with the flat of the sword pressed against its chest, snapping at him savagely, the phantom claws digging into his skin. He cried out in fear and pain, jerking away from the frightening fangs. Hangeng tried to come to his aid but found himself surrounded by the flying constructs. Blindly, he swung up at them, catching the wing of a light construct as it flew too close, sending it spiraling to the ground. The other three swarmed him with the wind construct wrapping its long body swiftly around his torso and hauling him upward, needing no wings to fly. Awkwardly he beat at its wispy body, trying to angle the sword to cut free before sharp talons dug into his arms and shoulders when the two light constructs latched on and hauled upwards.

The scout cried for help and Summer heard him as she unfolded enough to see him being carried away. Fiercely, she reached for the group of constructs and stalled them. She was successfully able to unravel one of the light constructs, tilting the group in the air before the horrifying realization hit her that she was surrounded by two earth constructs. Her concentration shattered as the ground rippled beneath her and she felt massive jaws clamp firmly on her legs, teeth pressing uncomfortably into her flesh, before she started to be submerged in earth.

Summer shrieked and reached for the thing holding her. It was easy enough to find and she grabbed the threads that held it together, pulling desperately so that it fell apart almost instantly. When it disappeared, the earth around her solidified, trapping her in the ground, partially entombed with one arm stuck beneath and one still free. Panic started to set in. "Help!" she shrieked, clawing at the ground with her free hand.

There was no one to assist her as she was able to make out Henry still struggling with the shadow construct and Hangeng being carried away while Zhou Mi was still attempting to stop the out of control cart and Eunhyuk clung to the back, alternately focusing on the constructs above him and the group they were leaving behind. Eunhyuk sent a furious gust of wind at the distracting constructs in the air, giving him some breathing room and was just in time to see Summer's terrified expression as something pulled her into the ground, the surface rippling like water for just a second before solidifying again.

"Summer!" he screamed in anger and denial. "No!" he yelled again as he looked back at Zhou Mi who was still struggling with reaching the reins as they dangled behind Lute's rapidly moving legs. Irrationally irritated by his lack of control, he carefully scrambled to the front seat, crawled over it and without taking the time to think about what he was doing, he launched himself to Lute's back, clinging desperately to her mane and clamping his legs around her torso. "Stop running already!" he growled through clenched teeth as he reached for the impossible to miss reins and hauled on them firmly with both hands, grimacing at the pain in his right limb.

Reluctantly, the terrified creature tugged at the opposing force but finally slowed and stopped at which point Eunhyuk tossed himself off and pelted back towards where Henry was wrestling with the shadow construct. He had managed to angle it off his body but was unable to position the sword for anything other than defense. Overwhelmed by an array of emotions, Eunhyuk funneled the anger and fear and uncertainty into his power and he threw a cutting blast of wind at the dark creature. His attack flew a bit high but the drag created by its passing was enough to pull the creature forward, allowing Henry to scramble to his feet and meet the construct head on.

Eunhyuk wanted to go help him finish it off but there was something underfoot still and constructs in the air. He took a deep breath as his nostrils flared, waiting for the thing that had taken Summer. The sound of the earth shifting slightly gave him some warning as the ground beneath him weakened. Before he could fall through completely, he saw the snout of the construct poke through the surface directly in front of him and he snarled as he threw as much wind down in that one spot as he could. Immediately behind him, a roar sounded as a small gale of wind came crashing down directly in front of him, pulverizing the construct and the immediate ground in the vicinity, including the earth that had been trying to wrap around his legs just a second ago.

The backlash of the power threw him back and out of the small crater and when he landed prone, facing the sky, he had a perfect view of the four wind and one light construct, its wing regrown, remaining in the air, flying down to claim him. Angry tears spilled from his eyes and he reached up with his good arm to draw a circle in the air above him. At his direction, a thin vortex sprang into existence above them and snaked its way towards them hungrily, drawing them into its center. They flapped rapidly as they tried to escape the strength of the wind but were unable to free themselves from the larger monster he had created.

In a tangle of wings and flailing bodies, the constructs crashed and tumbled together before they were methodically torn apart. Even after the constructs had disintegrated inside the vortex, it did not just fade away and it wasn't until Zhou Mi was at Eunhyuk's side, hauling him to his feet worriedly, that the wind elementalist even had cause for concern. "You have to send it away!" Zhou Mi cried loudly, trying to be heard over the howling wind.

"How?" Eunhyuk responded immediately, unsure what to do with the thing now that he'd summoned it.

"I don't know. Think of something!" the minstrel exclaimed as he gestured at the floating wind tunnel. It hadn't touched the ground yet but it continued to pick up smaller pieces of debris and even where they were standing they could feel a steady pull from it.

Eunhyuk tried to reach to quell the power but it was still hungry and did not want to listen to him. Summer would have been able to handle it, but she was not here… The wind elementalist thought hard and his heart hammered in his chest as he came across an idea. He couldn't banish it, but maybe he could cancel it out. "Stay back," he told Zhou Mi as he stepped in front of the minstrel and reached up with his good hand to draw a circle in the opposite direction, willing the same thing to happen immediately next to the original vortex.

He held his breath as a second wind tunnel sprang to life and forced himself to focus on bringing them together as opposed to looking back at the nervous Zhou Mi. He had to raise his aching hand to help draw the powers together at the same time but slowly, the wind tunnels danced with each other and then wore themselves down from the opposing directions. At last, the skies cleared and the winds in the area calmed down entirely so that not even a breeze stirred near him. Weary with exhaustion and relief, Eunhyuk fell to his knees on the ground, resting the weight of his body on his hands as he leaned forward.

"Henry!" Zhou Mi cried as he looked up from the wind elementalist to see his companion limping over to them, scratched and bloodied from his fight but the shadow construct was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm okay," he smiled through a grimace as he held one arm across his ribs, the shirt torn and covered in his blood.

The taller of the two had to force a laugh at his bravado and hurried over to support him, holding him close and then gently lowering him down next to Eunhyuk. "Wait here. I'll be right back," Zhou Mi assured him quickly before he sprinted over to where Lute had wandered off the main path away from the travelers. "Get over here," he muttered warningly as she continued to amble slowly. Firmly, he grabbed hold of the reins and with a more gentle hand, guided her back to the duo in the road.

With everything that was frightening her gone now, Lute was happy enough to stay close to the three and while she lipped at Henry's hair, Zhou Mi hopped in the back and sorted through the thrown about packs and equipment until he found the medicine back that Kibum had given them. He tore through it and found wound salve and gauze. With those in hand, he hopped back down and tended to Henry as best he could. Considering they'd been on their own for as long as they had, both had a basic knowledge of first aid and while Eunhyuk struggled to compose himself and stop feeling guilty for what had just happened, Zhou Mi picked up the pieces.

As traffic started to resume moving around them again, one or two persons here and there, Zhou Mi helped Henry to get seated in the back of the wagon, hissing sympathetically when the shift caused him more pain. "Come on, Eunhyuk," he urged softly as he knelt next to the devastated elementalist. "We need to get going now," he reminded him while he carefully reached under his arms to lift him to his feet.

Eunhyuk nodded numbly and wiped at his teary eyes. They had won, but they had lost both Hangeng and Summer… He knew why they had taken the neutralizer and tried to take him, but why the scout? It made no sense and it did not help that he had not been able to save them either; and Henry had been hurt too. The thoughts were enough to bring on more tears and he bit his knuckle to try and stifle them, the attempt not very successful. With Zhou Mi's assistance, he clambered back into the cart again and settled himself next to Henry who, despite his injuries, threw an arm around the other man's shoulder and pulled him closer comfortingly.

"You did good, Eunhyuk," he congratulated the elementalist. The words prompted bitter laughter from his charge but even as he continued to wipe his eyes and cry softly, the minstrel could see that the assurance helped at least a little. Henry looked up to find Zhou Mi returning leading Rider behind him. The dark horse was covered with sweat but whole and he seemed calm enough now.

The minstrel attached him to the back of the cart and finally took his place at the front where he gingerly held the reins, lamenting the splinters in his hand. Those were going to need to come out later. "Here we go again," he sighed to himself with a backwards glance at the remaining companions. The pair looked about ready to doze off and he wished them luck in doing so. That had been a hell of an encounter, but if he played with it some, it might make part of a very good story. He just hoped the ending would be a better one than this fight had…


	34. Chapter 34

Riding on the back of the mule with nothing else to do but hold on and try to enjoy the rather bumpy, uncomfortable ride, Kharin had plenty of time to think. Ultimately, it wasn't what she'd prefer to be doing, but she had little else to occupy her. While she was tired, sleeping or even attempting to doze was not going to happen. Her muscles were reminding her quite forcefully that she had overdone it just a bit when fighting, both with her power and with her body. She had been significantly more successful than she had given herself credit for, all things considered, but that did not assuage the guilt she felt at not being able to save the others. In her mind, she could still see their terrified expressions as they were taken away.

In front of her, Eun Mi continued to guide Glory down the road, her body moving easily with the motion of the mule. The healer had been just as silent as her passenger for the past hour and for both, it was almost a welcome lack of speech. Both recognized they had a lot of ground to cover and just getting to the capitol was not going to be nearly enough…

It was while she was thinking about getting in that the thought occurred to Kharin of how she was going to accommodate Eun Mi. She had no doubt that she was a good healer, but as of yet she had not seen the other woman fight and was hesitant on her capacity to do so. There was no way they were just going to be able to waltz right into the palace, much less the city where there were probably guards everywhere, but perhaps that would be fine in the end. Eun Mi was innocuous enough on her own. She had no special powers or overly distinct features and as they had already discussed, healers tended to have some measure of protection that the rest just didn't share.

Awkwardly, Kharin shifted her seat again and readjusted her grip around the slender woman's waist. "What's Lornhaldt like?"

"Huh?" Eun Mi questioned over her shoulder, caught off guard by the sudden question. "What do you mean?"

"What's the city like?" she asked again. "Are there guards everywhere? What sort of layout can we expect?" It might well be a grand place to visit in better times but she had no use for extraneous information just now.

Carefully, Eun Mi took a moment to go over what she knew for sure in her head. "I have not been back in several months, but when last I was there, Enrhyll did have guards stationed at the gates. If I remember correctly, there are small groups of soldiers that patrol the streets inside the walls. I never got close enough to the palace to see what was there. I would imagine he has guards stationed there too," she muttered darkly. For all that he was 'all powerful' he had a lot of guards everywhere.

"Hmm…" Kharin took a deep breath and forced herself not to be discouraged. She still had a few tools at her disposal that they sure as hell didn't.

"What are you planning?" Eun Mi asked after another pause where her companion didn't elaborate.

"I'm planning on getting into the palace," she replied immediately.

"Okay… How?" the healer asked. "What if the guards recognize you? What if we see more of those things?" she added, a note of worry creeping into her voice. That was a possibility she had not considered when she had prompted Kharin to join her on the mule to head for the capitol as fast as they could. Initially, she had chalked her reaction down to being concerned about her patients as she didn't like losing them any more than Kharin did, but she had to admit it might be slightly more than that. Despite her disappointment upon first meeting him, she had come to enjoy Siwon's company in the few days they had spent together. She considered him a friend and those she did not have many of, nor could she deny her attraction to him… With a start, she drew her attention back to Kharin who was answering her question.

Confidently, Kharin had snorted and responded, "The guards I can avoid entirely. As for the constructs; I am more concerned about you than I am for myself in that regard. Constructs I can handle. At least those ones anyway."

Eun Mi couldn't deny she had no idea what she'd be able to do against the things if they did come back and if they took any sort of interest in her. Her efforts in the last confrontation had been less than successful. "I guess we'll just have to worry about that if it happens…" she muttered uncertainly, her hands tightening on the reins.

That was not an answer that Kharin favored in the least. Her mouth thinned out into a slight frown but she refrained from saying anything. At present, there was really little she could do about it anyway. Reluctantly, she slouched a bit and placed her forehead against Eun Mi's shoulder. The healer was shorter than her so it made using her as a resting post a bit awkward but she was far better than nothing.

Through the afternoon, Glory continued to alternate between a trot and a canter, distinguished by the former being considerably bumpier the latter. It was obvious the longer that they traveled the more tired she was becoming as her gate started to get choppier and to her riders' discomfort, the lack of a saddle or riding pad meant that they were getting sweat soaked too.

"Alright," Eun Mi finally called as dusk was beginning to approach, waking Kharin from a restless doze. "Time to take a break." Easily, she pulled the mule off to the side of the road and waited for her passenger to come around before she tried to slide off. Stiff from the unaccustomed activity, Kharin half slid, half fell off the tall creature, grabbing reflexively at Eun Mi who almost followed her down before steadying them both. "Careful," she cautioned as she released Kharin's arm slowly.

The shadow elementalist groaned and carefully took a few steps, glancing down at the uncomfortably soaked through pants with distaste. "Do you actually enjoy riding her?" she asked Eun Mi as the healer slid off with considerably more grace and started to unload the packs before walking the tired mule out.

She chirped a positive response and rubbed Glory's forehead affectionately. The mule whickered softly and lipped at her shirt. "Do you want to get out the food and water?" Eun Mi suggested easily as she kept her expression neutral though she wanted to smile at Kharin's antics in trying to get stretched out. The slightly bow-legged stance gained from riding for too long was familiar to her indeed.

"Sure," Kharin waved before she focused her attention on the packs and proceeded to dig out the oil cloth wrapped rations they had packed in each bag prior to setting out. She kept a careful eye on the road, wary of the travelers that continued to pass them by, some of whom watched them just as curiously.

While Kharin chewed on some of the meat and continued to try and limber up, Eun Mi finished walking Glory out before letting her graze nearby. Quietly, they ate together, giving the mule time to rest up more than themselves. The healer did not want to run her into the ground no matter how fast they wanted to get to the capitol. Before they got ready to go again, she made sure to give Glory some of the water from her skin and then threw the packs back on. Awkwardly, she clambered on, showing Kharin how to manage without anyone to offer assistance.

Somewhat rested, the duo continued on, reluctant to stop when there was still light enough to see by. When they were forced to break for the night, it was with great hesitation. Kharin didn't know Eun Mi well enough to say if she would be a good person to split a watch with and Eun Mi wasn't used to spending nights out on the road in general. Normally, if she had to, she at least had Yong-Soo around…

Uncertainly, they agreed to split the watch and avoided a fire altogether. Eun Mi tethered Glory to the packs and took first watch, mandating that Kharin sleep. Ordinarily, the elementalist would have argued but she was too tired. Fighting had worn her out more than she cared to admit, especially since she was still recovering. The bindings had held well though and since she wasn't in obvious pain from more than soreness, Eun Mi had left her well enough alone, to her relief. Kharin disliked being fussed over and avoided it if at all possible.

It was a long and lonely night for both of them. No one else was traveling during those hours, or at least none that had any sense, but that did not make either of them feel any better. The waning moon gave light enough to see by for at least a little ways around them but it still left much to the imagination. When Eun Mi woke Kharin, it was a relief to sleep if only because she could stop imagining things.

More used to the shadows, even Kharin was subject to the normal concerns of the things she couldn't see at night; the biggest concern being more constructs. Barring that, the long hours of the night gave her far too much time to think again. At least the last time she'd been separated from the others, she'd had Leeteuk nearby to help keep her worries at bay. He had been alternately worried and strong enough for the both of them, but he was taken…because she couldn't protect him; or Siwon for that matter. Her eyes burned as tears threatened to fall. With an angry growl, she scrubbed at her face and hit the ground with her fist, focusing on the pain in her hand as opposed to the pain in her heart.

Somehow, she was going to find them and rescue them. As of yet, she had no idea how that was going to happen, but she would not fail them again!

* * *

><p>Nearly senseless in the almost suffocating darkness, Siwon clung to his sanity with an iron grip. Underground, there was nothing to see and the only thing he could hear was the steady crunch of earth as it shifted around them effortlessly. He was aware of something holding to him tightly so that his back was pressed against a hard, mostly flat surface and the only thing he could guess was that it was an earth construct. The urge to retaliate against it was immediately cut off by the fear that he would be trapped here, encased in the ground, if he did.<p>

Fear and his own helplessness trapped him far more effectively than the creature holding him. Even the fact that he could breathe was both welcome and alarming because his head told him it shouldn't be possible but his body continued to regardless. Desperately, he tried to focus on something else to keep his mind steady so he worked at the problem of being underground. Perhaps it was that the construct emitted a sort of barrier around its self that made the earth act like water instead. He imagined in this case it would function somewhat like Eleanara's barrier as he was surrounded by earth but it did not touch him.

In the end, he really didn't know and the more he thought about it, the less he cared to. There was a certain fear in him that believed the barrier or whatever it was would fail and he would die in this place, unknown and forgotten. It was a morbid and depressing thought and one he shied away from almost immediately. When he felt his mind drifting, he shook himself roughly. With no way of telling how much time had gone by, he couldn't tell where they were or even how fast they were traveling. The only thing he knew without doubt was that this thing was taking him to Enrhyll.

While he still did not have a face to envision, he could take his fear and transform it into anger when he thought of him as a figure. For at least a little while, that was able to sustain him as he pictured various scenarios that could play out when he met him. None of them were probable and all were fairly ridiculous, but just the thought of being able to punch him down was satisfying, at least for a little bit.

When even that failed, the only thing he had left to call on were the people he had grown up with and the newest friends he had met along the way. He closed his eyes, aware that he did so only by the feel of it, and held their images close. The familiar faces comforted him as few things could at that moment. If nothing else, he was being taken closer to Eleanara and Kyuhyun. They were there at the palace and he would be able to see them and make sure they were okay.

He only hoped that the others were alright too. He knew that Leeteuk had been in trouble before he had been dragged into the earth. Maybe Kharin had been able to help him. She would not have let him go without a fight, of that much he was sure. Siwon's mind darted from place to place, never settling for too long on any one thought and he continued to shy away from his reality. It was too much to focus on. Even when he had been drowning, he had some sense of what was going on.

This depravation was terrifying and he didn't know when it would end…if it would end. It would, wouldn't it? It had to. Surely Enrhyll did not mean for him to remain in the darkness. He had captured the others… They were still sane, or so he could believe. Would he be? His breathing started to increase and panic welled up in him. How much time had passed? When would it end? When…?

The uncertainty became too much and in his overwrought and already exhausted state, Siwon slipped into unconsciousness quite without thought. When he woke again, it was because there had been a subtle change from the constant motion of the creature carrying him. He opened his eyes and found himself still surrounded by that unending darkness. It was too much. The water elementalist screamed, a raw and primal sound that echoed in his small enclosure, muffled by the earth pressing around him. "Let me out! Let…me…out!" Blindly, he reached out with his hands, flailing in the small space that was his.

His fear of the earth around him was outweighed by an overwhelming need to see something again. He had not the strength to get out but water was an overwhelming force when there was enough of it. With what was left of his increasingly fragile stability, Siwon reached for his power, feeling the water bubbling beneath the surface. Abruptly, he felt moisture all around him, drenched immediately as his element responded to his desperation, pouring from the walls of the earth itself.

Their forward motion halted as water created too much resistance for the construct to carry along and when it paused, the pressure built as more water tried to fit a space that was too small for it. The crack of earth splitting sounded like thunder in his ears as water pressed upward, hauling him and the construct still gripping him through earth and stone. He would have screamed had he not needed the air to hold his breath.

He felt the water press against him as the earth construct above him met with resistance; felt himself gasp against the pressure and then something broke. With a rushing sound and too much pale light, incredibly bright after the total darkness he had endured, both Siwon and the construct were tossed above ground in a geyser that spit them out forcefully. The construct finally released him and he flailed wildly as he couldn't decide whether to scream or laugh. There was little time for either as he found the ground rushing to meet him far too quickly. With a grimace, he braced for the collision.

As his body impacted, he felt pain roar to life within him until his head bounced against the stone paved road and feeling everywhere else ceased for the splitting headache. His vision blurred and he faintly heard the sound of something next to him crunching into the ground before he saw small fragments of earth roll into his vision and then turn to sand.

A masculine voice in front of him drew his attention but even as he struggled to focus on it, he felt himself slipping away. "You certainly know how to make an entrance," a confident, smug tone resonated through his head.

* * *

><p>The sensation of flying might have been a wholly more enjoyable experience under slightly different circumstances. As it was, Leeteuk was rather uncomfortable with being carted across the sky by constructs. The wind serpent was wrapped too firmly around his torso to be comfortable and the light dragons had very sharp talons that dug into the flesh of his shoulders. It wasn't enough to be even worth considering as a bad injury but the wounds still hurt.<p>

His other concern was that he had lost his connection to the earth again. Oh, he could feel it below him, but it was an entirely disassociated feeling. He knew it was there, just as easily as he could see it, but that was about the extent of his awareness and it was not a feeling he favored. If he tried really hard, he could feel the construct moving beneath the surface. The flyers had caught up to it and overtaken it not long after Siwon had disappeared under ground.

Now though, it was somewhere behind them and all he could do was watch the ground pass by beneath him far below. The height was somewhat dizzying actually and if he wasn't so damnably pissed off and if his ankle didn't hurt as bad as it did, he would have had time to feel fear. As it was, the constructs were an outlet for his frustration as he beat at them ineffectively with his hands, clawing at elemental surfaces with rough nails.

A stream of expletives and curses had spewed from his mouth in the first few minutes of his flying and when his verbal library had been exhausted, he continued to pummel them with his fists. He had no real intention of trying to make them let go from this height as that would be folly, but useless action was better than none at all. Even that could only last so long, though.

At last spent from his efforts, Leeteuk clung to the constructs, a mixture of loathing and curiosity swirling in his mind. If Enrhyll had made these things then that meant that they could too. He had held the earth one at bay and tore it apart too, not unlike the time they fought the large one at Mount Balaron. So if they could be taken apart, he should be able to put one together. Most of their power was about visualization anyway. As long as they had a clear idea of what they were trying to do and it was relevant to their element, the power they controlled could usually fill in the blanks as it were.

He dwelt on that thought as the ground continued to pass by quickly underneath, the occasional traveler aware enough to notice a 'flying' man above them. The sun seemed to move incredibly slowly in direct contrast to his flight and when he bothered to look up, he was startled to see what could only be Lornhaldt rising into view. At the sight of it, Leeteuk felt his pulse quicken and his grip tightened on the body of the wind construct.

Much faster than he was ready for, the city grew in size. He was overcome with an array of hard to separate feelings as before him he recognized that he was finally going to reach their goal, just not in any way that he had ever intended. Alone and injured, he was not prepared to meet Enrhyll as he was. The only thing he could look forward to was the fact that Eleanara and Kyuhyun were here too. He could see them again. He could tell her… Wait. He would need to get there first. One step at a time. "I can do this," he told himself firmly as he steeled his gaze and clenched his jaw tight.

The city wall passed by swiftly under his feet and he eyed the top nervously where a handful of guards watched him curiously as he passed by, weapons at the ready but not aimed at him. More and more people looked up to see him float by overhead as his speed finally slowed down the closer her got to the tall palace structure ahead of him. After a few seconds, he stopped looking at the streets and stared intently at the palace doors. There was power inside that building. "Enrhyll," Leeteuk murmured quietly, tension and anger brimming over in his tone.

Abruptly, the guards noticed his arrival and they pulled open the doors for him so that they flew in easily, the open hall inside more than large enough for the constructs to fly with relative ease. Massive pillars passed by on either side of him, blurring together before the next set of doors were opened in turn and he was rushed into what could only be the throne room as denoted by the ornate chair sitting on the raised dais in the center of the room. Leeteuk frowned fiercely when his eyes fell upon the striking man who lounged there, opulently dressed and dark black hair spilling over his shoulders in a careless but elegant manner. "Enrhyll," he growled when the constructs stopped him just in front of the tyrant.

"Welcome to my palace, Elementalist," Enrhyll greeted with a welcoming smile as he stood up and regarded the young man curiously. Stoically, Leeteuk kept his silence and glowered at him, to the tyrant's amusement. "I know you are aware that I am the god Enrhyll. What do they call you, Elementalist of Earth?" he asked in a bored tone of voice.

Leeteuk maintained his severe expression and looked around, trying to find out where the others were. "Where are Eleanara and Kyuhyun?" he growled quietly, feeling alternately foolish and very annoyed. It was hard to be at all imposing when you were still dangling in the air from constructs.

"They're here," was his maddening, easy response. "Now what is your name?" he asked again, his annoyance showing through with one brow raised.

He was torn between a desire to be as recalcitrant as possible or to attack him, but he desperately wanted to know how the others were. Nor did it escape him that he was horribly outmatched here. And where was the neutralizer? That was a fact he could not dismiss out of hand. Just because he did not see her didn't mean that she wasn't around.

"It's alright," Enrhyll soothed, an annoying sound to say the least. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you." He smiled at the elementalist, trying to smooth out the angry and fearful expression on his face. Fear would certainly explain his reluctance to speak. Easily, he gestured for the constructs to set him down.

Surprised, Leeteuk wasn't prepared to accept his weight when the constructs released him a few inches above the ground and he cried out involuntarily when his ankle was jarred, the leg buckling immediately. Tears he couldn't help blurred his vision as he wildly sought to keep an eye on the tyrant. "Stay back!" he groaned painfully, clenching his fists tightly as he waited for the agony to subside in the broken limb. The shadow construct had mangled it further when it had bit him and the brace was not doing its job as well as it should have.

"Shh," Enrhyll breathed as he knelt next to Leeteuk, concern on his features. It was an expression the elementalist did not believe for a second. "Let me help you," the tyrant stated while he reached out to touch the young man's obviously injured leg.

"No," Leeteuk snarled as he reached out and smacked the hand away, startling and offending the other man.

"How dare you!" Enrhyll frowned fiercely. His eyes turned hard and angry at the rebuff. Abruptly, he stood up and looked down scornfully at the man before he commanded earth to trap him to the floor, an idea that quickly fell through as the bands were melted away the moment they were in place. "Stop that," he commanded imperiously, quickly attempting to replace the bindings. As before, they were wiped away while the young man glared at him ferociously.

Bad idea or not, Leeteuk wasn't going to stay still and allow himself to be tethered because Enrhyll said so. Through the pain, he grit his teeth and summoned the power of earth. Maybe if he caught him by surprise… His eyes widened when he realized that the tyrant knew what he was doing and before he could argue otherwise, a fine veil of mist settled over him and for just a second, he fought the impulse to sleep with his anger, but then that failed and unconsciousness claimed him swiftly.

"Hmm…" Enrhyll brooded for a few seconds as he looked at the now sleeping elementalist. He was much like Kyuhyun but a bit more stubborn. Why did their fear of him create such volatile reactions? He was going to have to work on this when the others arrived. Perhaps if he had one of the other elementalists present to help make them less nervous? That might work. He would have to try that later. Soon in fact, if his last scrying was any indication. Impatiently, he knelt next to the injured man again and quickly healed the hurts there. How he had so managed to harm himself was beyond Enrhyll.

He would have to make sure Hana was with him next time as well. They were so much easier to control when they weren't so fixated on using their power against him. "Come here," he gestured to the guards at the front of his hall imperiously. "Pick him up," he sighed in annoyance and then impatiently waved them after him. He had more guests coming very soon, but he had to make sure that the others were going to behave too.


	35. Chapter 35

As Zhou Mi drove the cart steadily onward, he kept a careful eye on is passengers as well as the road ahead. Patrols were common enough on the road and so long as he acted normal enough, it would not be thought odd that he had two persons resting in the back. The fact that one of them was an elementalist would likely never cross their mind if they were aware at all. It was probable that the regular patrols had no idea what was going on in regards to Enrhyll and his attempt to capture them.

Another glance back made him shrug. Even if they were aware, Eunhyuk was mostly hidden, tucked under Henry's arm and hunkered down low in the bed of the cart. Zhou Mi wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not but if he was getting any rest, he was glad for him. The minstrels had both agreed that while the elementalists had been charming on the whole, Eunhyuk especially had seemed to feel emotions more deeply than the others. Henry had thought it might have been part of the reason he could feel the music as well as he did, but it left him decidedly vulnerable to less pleasant emotions in turn.

It wasn't hard to see that the capture of Summer and Hangeng had affected him deeply. Henry's injury during the attack had also given him cause for concern as he had worried over the wounds soon after they had resumed their journey again. He had been shocked after the fight and now, Zhou Mi could only imagine that he was dealing with a large amount of guilt and self-recrimination. Not that he could blame him. To have the kind of power he did and still not be able to save them…it was not something he would wish for if given the choice. No. He was happy with his song and dance.

Quietly, he sang a jaunty tune under his breath, making sure to smile and wave at the passersby that took notice of him. It was easier to pretend nothing was wrong when there were people to perform for, even if it was just a ruse. As he half expected, they did run across a patrol heading the opposite direction as them and he was briefly nervous when the captain seemed interested in contracting the minstrels for entertainment that afternoon. With some fast talking, he was able to convince the man that due to a wild dog attack on his companions, they were in no condition to perform, unfortunately.

The captain seemed genuinely crestfallen by the admission and understandably upset that any wild creature would have been so desperate as to attack them. "We were careless," Zhou Mi waved deprecatingly, hoping to avoid too many more questions. "Had we been paying attention as we should have been, it would not have happened," the minstrel laughed, allowing himself to flush in modest embarrassment.

"All the same. We shall keep an eye out for any further trouble," the captain assured him fervently with a polite bow. "Now you take care of your friends," he chided the minstrel, grinning as he added, "And next time we expect a show." Behind him, his men cheered in agreement to Zhou Mi's concern.

Gently, he gestured for them to quiet down just a bit so as not to wake his companions. Slightly chagrined, the captain bowed again and Zhou Mi smiled warmly. "The next time you shall have it." The bow he gave in return was considerably more theatrical and hid a great deal more relief in his expression as the captain turned to lead his men forward again. The minstrel exhaled slowly and then flicked the reins to get Lute moving again.

As the cart ambled along as before, Henry laughed from the back, "Not bad, old man." Tired and pain filled eyes danced as he looked up at Zhou Mi who was surprised by the comment.

Warmly, Zhou Mi reached back and placed a hand on Henry's shoulder before giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Awake are you? How much did you hear?"

"The last part about us being careless," a subdued but relatively amused Eunhyuk murmured against Henry's side. Arguably, he should have sat up to speak with them better but it was considerably more comfortable where he was right now. That and it was easier to let their presence and the physical contact sooth the distress he still felt at losing the others.

Henry stirred next to him as he slowly reached for a pack nearby. Easily, he fished through it and hauled out a travel roll before pressing it into Eunhyuk's hand. "Here. You should eat something," the violinist urged with a smile. He was quick to follow his own advice and handed one up to Zhou Mi too who accepted it with a grateful grin.

Eunhyuk looked at his roll for a moment before he took a tentative bite. He didn't feel hungry in the least but he knew quite well that he needed to eat. Using their power required energy and they had to replenish it somehow. After the first couple bites, his hunger returned swiftly and the food was gone in a matter of seconds after that. With a bemused expression, Henry retrieved another roll for him while he was still working on his first one. "Thanks," the elementalist grinned sheepishly when he accepted the food. He slowed down considerably with that roll and felt much better for having eaten when he was finished.

"You know. I've been thinking about the fight," Zhou Mi eventually interjected into the silence when they had time enough to finish eating and get a drink. "Well, the result of anyway. Now don't give me that face," he chided the elementalist when his expression fell at the mention. "You did remarkably well." The assurance was firm but his visage was very gentle.

Henry nudged him lightly with his arm and grinned. "Yeah. I mean, those things were everywhere and you just… _Woosh!_" he mimed the wind tunnel as it came down out of the sky and winced when the action pulled at recently bandaged wounds. "Ouch!"

"Don't hurt yourself," Eunhyuk couldn't help but laugh lightly. He reached out to steady the young man who grinned back at him impishly, gingerly holding his chest with one hand.

"Just relax," Zhou Mi chuckled as he ruffled the younger man's hair affectionately, drawing an indignant response from him. "But earlier, I noticed those creatures focused on you and Summer early, and Hangeng too. What made them leave us alone for the most part?" he queried as he looked over his shoulder.

Eunhyuk shrugged, briefly at a loss. "I don't know. If they're anything like us, maybe they could feel our power the way we feel them," he suggested quietly.

"I had thought of that, but Hangeng has no power," Zhou Mi went on, his face thoughtful. By now, he had both of their attention and he went on, feeling very much in the spotlight. "What if they could recognize you too? By appearance. Is there perhaps some way that Enrhyll would know what you look like?"

"No," Eunhyuk started to say, but then their conversation in the shelter during the rainstorm came back to him. "Unless… Unless he was scrying us the whole time," he muttered angrily.

"Now that makes sense," Zhou Mi stated softly. "Up close, neither you nor Hangeng look anything alike, but you both have remarkably similar hair. At least in color at any rate. If nothing else, it's possible that they mistook him for you or at the least were confused by the two of you so went after both."

Eunhyuk groaned at the possibility and leaned back against the cart heavily. "They thought he was me?" he asked incredulously. Not because he couldn't see it, but because Hangeng was in a very dangerous position because of the elementalist. What would happen to him when Enrhyll found out he wasn't what he expected? "Gods protect him," he whispered while he covered his face with his hands. When he felt reassuring hands come to rest on him, he took a few steadying breaths and scrubbed his face roughly before facing them again. He still felt conflicted and the turmoil inside him was no less for his thoughts, but nothing he did right now was going to change anything.

The minstrels seemed to realize that as well for Zhou Mi nodded in agreement and sighed, "The only thing we can do is get there as quickly as possible."

"At least we're making good progress," Henry nodded while he looked over the side to watch the ground pass by quickly beneath them, the wheels of the cart turning swiftly.

"You're right," Eunhyuk admitted slowly, his gaze unfocused. They had slipped from his grasp but somehow he would get them back. Fervently, he hoped that the others were alright too. Gods he wished he knew if they were alive at all. Not knowing was the worst feeling and he desperately wanted the uncertainty to go away. Tentatively, he flexed his injured arm as his thoughts turned introspective. Mercifully, the minstrels left him to his silence as they spoke quietly.

Content to remain in the back of the cart as opposed to riding up front with Zhou Mi, Henry retrieved a carefully wrapped book and an equally protected writing stick before he began jotting down notes on a blank page. As Zhou Mi came up with another verse or refrain, he'd record it as requested but then resumed his own musical composition. The rest of the afternoon passed by swiftly for the trio, the time whittled away by such activities and thoughts that kept them occupied.

They pressed on as long as the failing light would allow them and finally made camp off the side of the road. Near the end of the day, the amount of travelers had faded to almost nothing as they continued on, leaving them in relative solitude for the last stretch before they stopped. Old pros at setting up camp, Zhou Mi and Henry got out the cooking gear and sleeping rolls. While Zhou Mi attended to the soup that would soon be dinner, Henry volunteered to take care of Lute. Unsure how to assist, Eunhyuk opted to follow the injured man and watched how he brushed out the horse, smiling uncertainly when he was offered the coarse brush.

The simple activity helped to ease his mind so that he wasn't still caught up in the concerns of the day. It was undeniably difficult for the elementalist to not worry, but he could postpone the feeling for just a little while. Easily, they picketed her near their camp site so she could graze her fill while Zhou Mi waved them over for their own food. Even while eating, it was hard for the minstrels not to think about their profession. Inspiration struck at the oddest moments and the book was not far from their hands as both paused a handful of times while eating to jot something down in the firelight.

"You'll see, Eunhyuk," Henry grinned. "We'll give you an epic tale before this is over."

Zhou Mi tsked at his younger companion and then just laughed. "It's still in progress but we are working on a ballad or two," he agreed after a moment.

Eunhyuk couldn't help but laugh in turn. "If they're anything like your other works, then they'll have to be good," he smiled before scraping the bottom of his bowl and finishing off the soup by draining the rest of the broth quickly.

"But of course," Henry agreed emphatically, another bright grin illuminating his face. Distractedly, he tapped out another series of notes on his leg and then reached for the book that was resting between him and Zhou Mi.

The taller minstrel watched his companion for a moment longer before he nodded at Eunhyuk, "You should probably get some rest. We won't be up too much longer ourselves," he offered as he finished off his own meal and started to bank the fire, taking the pot off the travel stand and replacing the lid to cover the leftovers. They could finish them up in the morning.

"Are we setting a watch?" the elementalist asked, out of habit more than anything else. A night watch had been one of the constants they had established on their journey and after their most recent events, he did not wish to be left unguarded.

The minstrels looked at each other, slightly startled as the thought had not occurred to them. Setting a watch was not something they had done often and whether by luck or simply because they were minstrels and unpleasant elements just left them well enough alone, they had yet to be bothered by more than simple pests. Zhou Mi shrugged and agreed after a brief pause. "We can split watches. I will go first," he stated firmly with a skeptical glance at the other two. They had all been up since dawn this morning but he was the least injured of their group.

"I'll go next," Henry volunteered quickly with a glance at Eunhyuk. "You did a lot today," he laughed with a friendly pat on the blonde's shoulder when he looked about to argue.

The elementalist couldn't exactly argue so with a heavy sigh he resigned himself to sleep and curled into the new sleeping roll near the fire. It wasn't a cold night but the gentle light and warmth were soothing. Once he was settled, it did not take long for sleep to claim him.

High above the ground, Hangeng shivered from more than the slight chill in the air as he was carried swiftly through the sky. The wind construct that had grabbed him first was still wrapped firmly about his midsection so that his legs dangled uselessly beneath him and the light construct Summer had not been able to unravel clung painfully to his shoulder and arm. Early on, he had been forced to drop his long sword when the nasty creature bit his hand, drawing blood.

He was nothing more than a simple scout, an only child who had escaped to the small town ranger patrol when he had still lived over the sea in the village of Airden. It wasn't until he had caught a boat to Corley Port that he had really taken an interest in becoming a more skilled ranger, which ended up being interchangeable with the role of a scout. As most young men with ambition, he had made his way to the capitol in search of adventure and found the Silverbergs and their talented patrol.

He had worked himself into their service through skill and a bit of luck and in all his time that he had been in the service of the fairly famous family, he had never seen anything like this. Everything he had been told of Enrhyll and his power had been mere hearsay and rumor, but this…being carried by physical manifestations of the elements themselves; this was absolutely terrifying. Even worse than that was the knowledge that the creatures were taking him straight to Enrhyll himself. The scout had no desire to meet the man face to face but it appeared he was not going to have any other choice.

Hangeng had absolutely no idea how he was going to react when it came to light that he was no elementalist, which begged the question of why he had been taken in the first place and not any of the others. "Why me?" he screamed at the restraining creatures. Uselessly, he flailed against the seemingly insubstantial form of the wind construct with his free limb. "Damn you! Why?" When they remained irritatingly silent to his demands, he stubbornly kicked at the construct whose neck was still stretched out in front of him. The only thing he succeeded in doing was stubbing his toe on the deceptively firm surface.

After that, he subsided to quietly railing against his current situation. There was little else he could do except nurse the bloodied hand and alternate between grumbling discontentedly and fretting over what was to come. The road beneath him passed by swiftly, as did the persons traveling on that relatively straight path and it was odd for him to recognize that they were moving faster than a horse galloping at full speed. He even saw a horse and rider that he could compare himself with and they fell behind rather quickly, to his amazement.

He noticed the familiar sight of Lornhaldt approach at a similarly amazing speed and felt his stomach knot in fear. Without thought, he started mumbling to himself as the walls rose in front of him. The constructs effortlessly floated him over the shops and houses nestled within the city, straight towards the massive structure he recognized easily as the palace. Another wall and set of gates around the palace kept it completely separated from the surrounding buildings, enclosed and protected even more so than the rest of the city.

The guards saw him coming and opened the main doors for him while the constructs passed through easily. He was immediately overwhelmed by the grandeur of the interior of the place. While he had seen the palace from afar many times, he had never been inside and the scale within was just as impressive as it was on the outside. He cringed as they sped to the other set of doors at the end of the expansive hall and breathed a sigh of relief when they opened quickly in turn; a breath that lodged in his throat when he realized Enrhyll was just on the other side.

His attention was immediately riveted on the man that he had heard so much about yet never actually seen. The rumors did him little justice. Hangeng would not have said he was perfect but he was definitely exceptional. The scout was left in awe as the constructs brought him up to the imposing figure who had initially seemed pleased but then frowned. Distractedly, he noticed two women on either side of him; one dressed in white with golden hair and the other garbed in a more simple style robe of a soft purple color and dark hair. The former seemed confused upon seeing him while the latter continued to frown.

Enrhyll stood up swiftly and captured Hangeng's attention promptly. "Who are you?" he demanded icily, his expression severe.

The scout blanched and then stammered, "H-Hangeng, your lordship." He fell automatically into the respectful title and prayed this would be over quickly.

Enrhyll narrowed his eyes at Hangeng, furious that this imposter was here instead of the elementalist. "How dare you!" he growled, fiercely angry. Hangeng was immediately confused and terrified in the same instance. "How dare you trick them into believing you were an elementalist," he growled, reaching up to grab the bright blond hair and yank hard.

Hangeng cried out in pain and grimaced. "I was just there, my lord! I didn't-"

"Silence!" Enrhyll roared as he flung the man away, dismissing the constructs as he did so that Hangeng was released in midair.

Unprepared for the change, Hangeng flailed and then connected with the carpet covered floor heavily. "I didn't do anything," he insisted again, cringing on the ground. That had hurt more than he had thought it would. The stone floor beneath the covering had no give to speak of and he not been able to absorb any of the impact with a roll.

"You didn't want him to come here, did you?" the irate man growled, his ire plain to see. When Hangeng looked up, he felt his face pale at the unreasonable anger there. The dark haired woman was smiling smugly, seemingly amused by his plight, but the other one…she seemed equally confused and worried. "Where is he?" The question was punctuated by a savage burst of wind that lifted Hangeng up and tumbled him back mercilessly.

"Please, my lord!" Hangeng cried, scrambling to steady himself.

"Stop it!" Eleanara screamed as she stepped closer to Enrhyll, thoroughly at a loss as to why he was so angry. She stopped immediately when he fixed his gaze on her, the fury still present.

"Why?" he snarled defensively. "He is trying to make me look foolish!" Enrhyll growled, pointing a finger at the scout on the ground. "And what's more! He's pretending to be an elementalist! He lied to me!" With that final statement, he hurled a cutting shadow blade at the scout.

Hangeng screamed and closed his eyes tight, certain he was about to die. "No!" he heard instead as the woman in white reached out and he became aware of a force spring up around him protectively. His eyes widened as he realized immediately that she was an elementalist like Eunhyuk and that the shadow blade had been deflected easily.

Enrhyll's attention shifted immediately from the imposter to Eleanara, his anger redirected. "You dare to defy me?" he demanded, his voice deadly quiet.

Uncertainly, Eleanara took a step back and raised her hands up slowly. "He didn't do anything," she stated simply with a glance at the frightened newcomer. At first glance, she had thought he was Eunhyuk due to the color of his hair but he did know her friend. Of that much she was certain. Now though, with Enrhyll's rather unsettling focus on her, she wasn't so sure of her actions. And Hana was wearing a nigh on murderous expression too…

"He tried to fool me," Enrhyll snarled, the infraction reason enough for him. Hastily he lashed out at Eleanara, the same shadow blade he had thrown a moment ago aimed at her.

Desperately, Eleanara tried to throw up a barrier as she had for Hangeng but the power failed to respond. For just a second, she froze before hours of practice took over and she put her ability to dodge to good use. There was no time to shift her body to either side, so she let gravity pull her down. She folded her knees and rolled backwards, gasping when she felt the sharp blade graze her hands as she partially held them out in warding, just the hint of a barrier shimmering in front of her palms.

Heart racing madly in her chest, she rolled back to her feet, eyes wide and alert. Shaken by the attack, she looked between Hana and Enrhyll, distressed. Alarmingly, she came to the conclusion that Hana was a neutralizer like Summer so her power would be useless around her.

As she watched them intently, Enrhyll's expression changed while the anger washed away swiftly and he approached a very nervous Eleanara. "See what you've made me do?" he asked her with a shake of his head. Easily, he reached out and grabbed one of her hands before she could step away. A quick look showed that her palm and fingertips were red from where the shadow blade had dragged across them despite her attempt to deflect it.

"I didn't do anything to make you attack me," Eleanara defended herself quickly, yanking her hand back and taking a step away from the unpredictable man in front of her.

Very much confused by what was going on, Hangeng remained on the floor, hoping fervently that he would be forgotten or at the very least, spared in the end. He was, however, concerned for his defender as she did not seem to be so sure of herself anymore.

Enrhyll's face darkened once more as Hana stepped up next to the young woman, a frightful expression on her face. With a very firm hand, she made sure her power was neutralized and stepped close to look down at the slightly shorter woman. "If Lord Enrhyll said it was your fault, then it was your fault," she snapped, her voice like steel.

Partly annoyed by the intrusion, Enrhyll's eye twitched and then he seemingly lost interest in Hana entirely. Imperiously, he pushed a startled Hana aside and looked down at Eleanara, his body towering over her much like Siwon did when he stood next to her. "Eleanara," he began in a patronizing tone of voice at which she frowned. "You will do what I say, when I say or I will take back the power I gave you," he growled firmly, one hand reaching to grab her arm fiercely, making her gasp.

She had nothing to go on but Kyuhyun's words but she responded with conviction, even as she trembled for the fear he made her feel, "You did _not_ give me my power." Eleanara wasn't sure why she spoke as she did, but it certainly brought about a reaction in him.

His nostrils flared angrily and he looked down his nose at her before he released her arm and abruptly backhanded her across the face. "You ungrateful, impudent wretch!" he sneered. Unprepared for the blow, she hit the ground hard and he felt that familiar rush fill him as fear filled her eyes when she looked up at him, one hand pressed against her cheek. "If you will not love me as your god, then you will fear me," he promised softly, his lips turning up slightly into a malicious smirk. Carelessly, he waved his hand at her and Hana stepped in swiftly.

The persistently frowning young woman reached down and grabbed Eleanara by her hair, hauling to her feet roughly to her discomfort. "Get up," Hana commanded with a savage yank.

Eleanara grimaced severely at the sharp pain and then gasped when she was shoved forward towards the door where the guards were pulling them open swiftly, expressions carefully neutral. With a bruise starting to form across her cheek already, the elementalist glared at Hana, certain now why she had not liked her to begin with. She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else and headed out, careful to take one final look at the stranger still in the room. Hopefully, he would be alright. She did not wish ill on any who may have helped her friends.

Enrhyll approached Hangeng smoothly. The black haired lord looked down at him with a superior expression and sniffed lightly, his sensibilities offended. He toyed with the thought of destroying him right there, but his anger had already bled away from earlier. And if he killed him, then he would not get to see the fear that lingered there in his eyes. With a sigh, he waved at the guards in the front, "Take this trash away."

As Hangeng was lifted bodily from the ground, he was simply grateful to be alive instead of insulted by the derogatory remark. Wisely, he refrained from saying anything and half-walked, was half-dragged out of the room. Wherever they were taking him though, he doubted it would be so nice as a room in the palace…


	36. Chapter 36

Riding on the wave of terror that had gripped her when she had been entrapped by the earth, Summer had initially been partially relieved when she had been freed, encased in a new prison. The total darkness of traveling underground was equally frightening though, since she knew what it felt like to be stuck in the earth. For several long moments after being yanked under into a world that she did not feel she should have been able to survive in, it was a struggle to breathe. The neutralizer had to force each breath into lungs that tried to close in a genuine panic attack as her heart beat madly against her ribcage and she experienced alternating hot and cold flashes.

Her panic was further fueled by her inability to react physically due to a persistent numbness in her limbs. It took her a few seconds to finally realize that the screams she was hearing were coming from her when she was able to draw enough breath to do so. At eternity later, the distressing feelings finally began to subside and her breathing slowly returned to a more normal pace. Fear remained lodged in her belly but she became coherent enough to actually think about what had happened and, more importantly, what was going to happen.

The urge to reach out and unmake the construct was persistent but so was the knowledge of what would happen. It was unnerving though, being held so close to something that she could take apart in a second and absolutely unable to do anything. Tentatively, she plucked at the threads that wove it together, feeling the creature shift and slow when she did so. It was at those moments too, that the earth seemed to press closer, the barrier around her not quite so substantial. Panic would begin to creep upon her then and she would freeze, pressed close to the belly of the creature and as far as she could get from the surrounding earth.

Her sense of the passage of time was completely skewed as well. She knew well enough that it had been nearly midday when she had been taken but there was nothing to indicate any sort of change. The ground surrounding her exuded a perpetual chill but never got to the point of cold or warmed even a little bit like the ground would on a normal day. She had no appetite to speak of so that would not work either. After an indeterminate amount of time, the lack of light actually started to cause her eyes to play tricks on her.

Summer became aware of bright dots that kept appearing in her peripheral vision but every time she turned her head, they would disappear, as if they'd never existed. "There's nothing there," she told herself quietly, her voice small and hard to hear in the space surrounding her. "It's nothing…" she murmured again, shaking her head with her eyes closed, not that there was any difference.

If she could ignore the grip of the construct, short limbs that grabbed her upper arms firmly, she could almost imagine she was floating. She laughed nervously at the slightly delirious thought. Of course she wasn't floating… You didn't float in the earth, that was just absurd. No… "Get a hold of yourself," she murmured quietly, her hands clenching tightly into fists so that her nails dug into her palms, the pain a welcome sensation.

Frustratingly, she didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry at her predicament. Over and over again, her mind ran in circles about what she had done or not done and she kept veering away from the fact that she would be seeing Enrhyll soon if she couldn't get out of this. And she couldn't… Well, not without leaving herself trapped anyway. It wasn't as if she could manipulate it into something else. She could only unmake the thing that carried her.

Out of habit, she rubbed her sweaty palms against her legs and felt her arms brush against something hard that was attached to her body. With a start, she realized she was still wearing the sais she had been given by her father before they had left. Carefully, she felt over the hilt and traced the scabbard, recalling what they looked like from memory. That fact alone made her feel not quite so helpless. She was still armed, even if she had no useful power right now.

The presence of the sais also drew her mind to focus on Eunhyuk who used the same weapon. She wondered how he was doing. The last she saw was him in the back of the cart looking back at her. Had he escaped capture? Maybe? What about the minstrels? Henry had been in trouble. Her mind clouded over with worry as she replayed the last few seconds she could remember before being dragged under. Unfortunately, the memory trailed too close to what made her panic initially and in following the thought, she recalled her own intense feelings just before she lost sight of them.

Her breathing started to quicken and shallow out again while helpless tears spilled from her eyes. "No, no, no, no, no…" she breathed quickly, cursing herself under her breath. Angrily, she grabbed hold of her sais in both hands and stabbed at the construct ineffectively. She knew well enough that her weapons weren't going to kill it…she wasn't even sure if it could feel it for the most part, but it felt better than doing nothing and losing herself in the darkness. Her range of motion was limited since it held her firm, the front of her person faced towards its belly, but she could reach the sides well enough. It was exhausting though and while she did not quite lose consciousness, her arms became leaden over time and she clung to the handles of the sais still plunged into the body of the construct.

"Let me go," she pleaded at last, when the darkness became too much. "Just let me out!" the neutralizer whimpered while she placed her forehead against the smooth chest of the construct and simply cried. Even when the tears stopped coming, she felt the sobs lodge in her throat, a persistent pain throbbing every time she swallowed. So caught up in her own misery, she almost missed the fact that the construct appeared to be slowing down. Immediately, her entire demeanor changed as she took a shuddering breath and looked around. There was nothing new to see, but she was certain now, that she had felt a change.

With bated breath, she waited while the earth shifted around her slowly, becoming aware moment by moment of a powerful presence drawing closer. It was a mixture of elements, hard to sort out, but there was really only one person that it could be. "Enrhyll," Summer breathed darkly, her focus shifting to his existence entirely. "Where are you?" she breathed heavily, her teeth clenched so tightly her jaw hurt. Fiercely, she pulled the sais free and altered her grip slightly, feeling their weight settle in her palms with a comfortable feel. "Show me…" This close to him, it was hard to think on anything else. For making her endure this and for the others…she wanted to kill him. She was going to kill him…she just needed to see his face first.

* * *

><p>Patience had never been one of Kyuhyun's strong points. He thoroughly disliked waiting and he hated even more not knowing what was going on. When Hana and Eleanara had been called away, it had taken a great deal of effort on his part not to follow despite Kwan's presence. "Hey!" he called as the two women headed for the door, his companion wearing a very uncertain expression.<p>

"You'll get your turn," Hana sneered with one brow raised. "Now be a good boy while we're gone," she smirked, actually petting Eleanara's hair before shoving the younger woman the rest of the way out of the room and slamming the door shut behind them.

The fire elementalist was on his feet and more than half-way across the room before Kwan had been able to catch up to him, the sword drawn and ready. "Just calm down, Kyuhyun," he urged patiently, his expression neutral.

"Why?" Kyuhyun snarled as he whirled on the captain and glared at the naked blade. Kwan just looked at him, that same implacable expression unchanging. In annoyance, Kyuhyun shoved the blade of the sword down and stalked back to the chair at the table, not even looking at the other man to see how he'd react. That at least confirmed what he had suspected earlier. The captain did not want to hurt him which was a far cry from that bitch Hana.

"I'm sure Eleanara will be fine," Kwan explained as he sheathed his sword and followed the young man, his posture resigned. With the neutralizer gone, these might well be his last moments… Either Enrhyll was trying to get rid of him or he trusted Kyuhyun far more than the captain would have if the roles were reversed.

Kyuhyun sent him a scathing glare and muttered, "And what makes you think that?" as he crossed his arms defiantly across his chest. Briefly, he seriously debated incinerating Kwan and just following them, but that wouldn't help him in the long run. If he showed up anywhere without a chaperone, he'd likely be attacked or something equally unpleasant and gods forbid he actually run into Enrhyll when that tyrant expected him here.

"Considering you're both still alive, I would imagine that says a great deal," Kwan answered simply, his shoulders shrugging in an equally mystified response. With years of practice, he appraised the young man across from him. The more time he spent around him, the more he understood why he continued to act as he did. He was still not happy with the young man's outburst on the road which had resulted in the destruction of most of his patrol but he understood why. "He was actually angry when he thought that you and your friend might not make it here," he added softly, waiting to see what sort of reaction that would bring. For just a second, he wondered if he should tell Kyuhyun about the circumstances of his being brought here…then the moment passed and he remained silent.

Disbelief was the first thought that flashed across the elementalist's mind. "I'm sure," Kyuhyun scoffed before he realized the other man was serious. "And how the hell do you explain the constructs and the patrols?" he demanded heatedly, remembering vividly the two they had fought on their way here and the men they had destroyed or turned away. Involuntarily, he shuddered despite himself and looked away, feeling very much as if there was something else he should remember. He knew there was, but it was beyond him to recall it.

"And how do you know those were sent to destroy you?" the captain asked pointedly. He wasn't trying to defend Enrhyll, but it was valid question in his mind.

"Weren't they?" Kyuhyun demanded immediately as he hit the table with his fist.

Kwan shrugged and responded, "There have been dissenters since he rose to power."

That simple admission made Kyuhyun pause. They were still very new to their powers and Yoogin had told them that Enrhyll had been waging war for over a year by the time they came into their heritage. Shrewdly, he looked at the captain again and had to reevaluate his impression of him. Kwan was not as neutral as he had first thought. No. The man looked tired. There was a weariness to him that had nothing to do with his age, which was likely at least twice Kyuhyun's eighteen years. Intently, he focused his sharp gaze on the captain and leaned forward over the table before he quietly asked, "Why are you helping him?"

Unexpectedly, Kwan chuckled and ran a hand over his hair before he took a deep breath. He had been wondering if he was going to get that question. "Do you know what happens to those who don't die immediately when their lord is overthrown?" Patiently, he waited for Kyuhyun to respond and when the young man shook his head slowly, his gaze wary, the captain explained. "The survivors are usually given a choice, depending on the usurper's mood. Serve the new lord faithfully…or die. I'm sure you can imagine which choice I made."

"Coward," Kyuhyun scoffed after a moment before he sat back in his chair and frowned at the captain.

It was a word he had called himself many, many times since he had made that choice. "Maybe," he nodded at last, his gaze focused on the table between them before he looked up and added, "But I'm still alive."

"For now," the elementalist mocked.

"Indeed," Kwan agreed with a quirk to his mouth. "We both know that you could change that at any moment, don't we?" he asked softly, his gaze calculating. "Why haven't you?"

"Because you're not worth it," Kyuhyun grumbled immediately, though fire danced in his eyes.

Kwan glanced at the flickering flames in the room and smiled despite himself. "It looks like we agree on something after all," he tipped his head to the young man, to his confusion. The flames calmed down with the uncertainty and he sighed to himself. "But you now. You and your friends are worth much more." For just a second, his eyes focused on the elementalist, hopeful. "For all his power, he does not have much control," Kwan sighed, as if to himself. He wasn't sure if the young man would take the words at face value, but maybe…

"And what is that supposed to mean?" the elementalist retorted, annoyed by the indirect statement. If he had something to say about Enrhyll, why didn't he just say it?

The captain's expression shifted again and his eyes clouded over once more. He sighed as he looked at the table top and then back at the young man. "Considering I'm still alive this evening, I would imagine that Enrhyll will be summoning you and I a bit later. Might I suggest you get some rest in the meantime?" he offered, pointing towards the bed.

"I'm not tired," Kyuhyun responded grumpily, though he recalled the bed was quite comfortable. It wasn't that he didn't trust Kwan, not that he did, but he didn't think the Captain would hurt him regardless. At least not any more than he already had thus far.

"Suit yourself," he sighed with another shrug. "Just be ready," he warned softly, his gaze intent and focused before he resumed the neutral expression and sat back in his chair to continue waiting. He had also gotten very good at that since Enrhyll had taken over as well.

Disconcerted by their conversation, Kyuhyun eyed Kwan critically. While it was true that he still did not like the man, he was pretty sure that he wasn't serving Enrhyll because he wanted to. And what did he have to be ready for? Of course he would be ready… That was a stupid warning but why give it at all? He was going to have far too much time to ponder it apparently.

For hours, they were relegated to staying in the same room with nothing further to distract him and despite his earlier talkativeness, Kwan remained close lipped for the duration of their stay together. Kyuhyun was really actually getting worried about Eleanara as he had figured she would be coming back to this room when she was done with whatever it was that Enrhyll had summoned her for. The not knowing ate at him, especially when there was a commotion later in the day that they only heard snippets through the door.

Shortly after, Hana rejoined them looking considerably more perturbed than the last time. "Looks like you were a good boy," she sneered to the elementalist's annoyance. Even Kwan rolled his eyes at the jab and stood up.

"Shut up," Kyuhyun snapped while he got to his feet quickly, a severe frown on his face. "What do you want? And where's Eleanara?" he muttered tersely.

With a bored expression, she inspected her nails and looked up at the upset young man over her hand. "Lord Enrhyll has summoned you," she stated simply, ignoring the other part of his question.

"I said, where is Eleanara?" he reiterated and took a step closer to the woman who dropped her hand and glowered right back. Slowly, Kwan took a step closer to both of them preemptively and focused on the irritating Hana.

Hana rolled her eyes and sighed, "She's in her room, big brother. Or maybe she's your lover?" she prodded with a wicked gleam in her eye. "No?" she queried with a raised brow, amused by the flush that sprang to his face automatically.

Kyuhyun blushed at the accusation but it was a combination of embarrassment and anger that flooded his face with color. Automatically, the flames in the room started to flicker wildly and the flush faded slowly, though his ears remained bright red. "She better be unharmed."

"Stop that," Hana stated in annoyance as she quelled his power. "She's as well as your friends are," she added in an offhand manner, smiling maliciously when she felt the power stop altogether and his expression changed swiftly.

"The others? Who?" he demanded, taking another step towards her urgently.

"Far be it from me to say," she waved flippantly and grinned again, an unpleasant expression. "I'm sure Lord Enrhyll would explain it to you if you ask him nicely." Her laugh was grating though she seemed thoroughly amused with herself.

"Just lead the way, Hana," Kwan prompted when he closed the distance between him and Kyuhyun, fixing the woman with a stoic expression.

"Ugh," Hana sneered with a roll of her eyes. "Fine," she relented with a yank on the door, not even waiting for them to follow before she stepped through.

Quickly, Kyuhyun hurried behind her, Kwan in his wake. He figured Eleanara was alright after all and was rightfully more concerned about the others. Enrhyll had mentioned that they were on the way but he didn't know how they were being transported. Nor did he like the way that Hana had implied that there might have been something wrong with any or all of them. Her response had been less than reassuring and he had no trouble believing that was what she had intended. For once, she did not move fast enough for him when she was guiding them back to Enrhyll. If he didn't know better, he would say that she was taking her time just to toy with him. It was not a feeling he enjoyed in the least.

As they returned to the throne room, Kyuhyun felt his pulse quicken at the possibility that he might well see some of the others. He knew something had to have happened to separate them and while he didn't know how long they had been apart for, it would be good to see them again. Even Enrhyll's greeting, smug and condescending, slid over him effortlessly…well, almost. "Kyu," Enrhyll stood up and gestured at the young man.

Kyuhyun did not like him calling him by that name. Instead of a verbal response, he paused and bowed slightly, the action easier than calling him by a title he did not feel the man merited. He didn't merit the bow either but at least with that he could pretend it was someone else…

"Come, come," he urged, waving him closer to him. "Look," he pointed ahead towards the doors when the elementalist came within arm's reach of him. "My presence has frightened your friends so far," he admitted with a semi-regretful shake of his head. "Perhaps you can help them to understand as I am too much for them," he admitted, almost sad. Why they couldn't see he was as benevolent as he was powerful was beyond him but hopefully Kyu would be able to calm this one better than that disappointing Eleanara had. He was still mad at her for defying him and his will…

"Are they coming through the doors?" Kyuhyun asked, sending a curious sidelong glance at the distracted tyrant.

Lost in thought, Enrhyll missed the omission of his title and waved impatiently. "Through the earth," he grinned as he felt the construct approach. "Watch," he breathed, waiting impatiently for the thing to bring the woman closer. On either side, Kwan and Hana shifted nervously as they waited for something to happen too.

Kyuhyun watched closely as the ground under the carpet began to ripple before the stone work next to it shimmered and slowly, he saw a crocodilian head and then body rise from the earth itself. His dark eyes widened in surprise and no small amount of disbelief as he saw a person appear with it, carried to the surface and he gasped when he recognized the red hair. "Summer…" he whispered breathlessly, frozen in place.

Tension filled her body as Summer waited, ready to act. She was unprepared for the light that finally filled her vision when the construct pulled her back above ground. It was only firelight from indoor sconces but after the darkness she had endured, it was painful and her eyes teared up as she blinked rapidly, desperately trying to locate the man she was going to kill. Through blurry eyes, she noticed four figures standing in front of her, two off to the side and two next to each other.

The two in the middle were well dressed and she determined that one of them had to be Enrhyll. She did not know who the other was but if he stood by that tyrant, then he was just as bad. Angrily, she reached back towards the construct and unraveled it swiftly, exultation running through her at her success. Instantly, her attention shifted and with a desperate and angry scream, she tossed both sais at the figures in front of her, counting on surprise to aid her. "Die!"

"Summer!" Kyuhyun cried, comprehension of what she was doing coming too late. The trajectory of the weapon was off which helped him to escape most of the attack, but he wasn't able to avoid it entirely. One of the outer prongs clipped his right arm, tearing through the flesh of his shoulder. He screamed in pain and denial as he struggled to remain standing even as Enrhyll flinched away from the attack too, a hasty barrier flickering in and out of existence so that the weapon almost got to him. "No!" he screamed as he saw the rage in Enrhyll's eyes.

Enrhyll had expected an attack. The others had all followed that pattern thus far except for the water elementalist who had incapacitated himself and he was pretty sure had he been able to, he would have tried to harm the god before him too. What he had not expected was for her to actually attempt to neutralize his power. That was not acceptable. He could not abide by such a challenge to his power. Furiously, he overrode the blanket she threw over him, aware that her control was shaky at best and she could not focus on all six elements at once.

Light flared into existence around him while the flames in the room roared to life; the ground underfoot trembled angrily and a fell wind howled in the enclosed room, shadows lengthened impossibly and the temperature dropped. The woman's shrill cry rang clearly through the room as the increased light further blinded her and she fell back, her control lost so that the elements responded fully again.

Completely neutralized himself by Hana who glared between him and Summer, Kyuhyun had no weapons and no power, but he had to keep the tyrant from killing her. He didn't know where Kwan was or if he would try to stop him either. He ignored the possibility of the captain's interference and acted on gut instinct. Frantically, he lunged towards Enrhyll and shoved him hard, knocking him back and into Hana who had moved to try and intercept him. How tangled they might have gotten, he didn't know, nor did he pause to find out. With quiet desperation, he sprinted towards Summer, the pain in his arm temporarily forgotten as he threw himself down beside her and pulled her into his arms, "Summer!"

Utterly blinded by the new light that had been thrust upon her vision, Summer fell to the ground and cowered with her head in her hands, the splitting pain in her eyes and temples enough to debilitate her temporarily. She felt the power building around her and heard a voice crying out but she couldn't make sense of anything just then. When she felt arms slide around her, she fought back on impulse, terrified of the constraint. "No!" she cried as her arms flailed blindly, eyes tightly closed still.

In response, Kyuhyun held her tighter and whispered hurriedly into her ear, "It's alright, Summer. It's me, Kyuhyun. I'm here," he felt tears sting his eyes as worry flooded through him. This was not the Summer he knew and he didn't know why she was so terrified and disoriented. "I'm here," he breathed again, grateful beyond belief when she stopped fighting him.

"Kyu?" Summer asked quietly, her voice breaking on the word as she hardly dared to believe. Briefly, she tried to open her eyes but spots filled her vision so she clamped them shut and gripped tightly to the fabric of his shirt, clinging to him with a desperation she did not expect.

Both became aware of the surge in power beyond them that drew the elementalist's attention angrily. He looked up with furious eyes as Enrhyll looked back at them, an unreasoning madness in his gaze. "Stop this…" he growled wrathfully as he hammered against the suppression of his power, desperate to force Enrhyll to focus on his element. Kyuhyun recognized that both of their lives depended on him just then and even as he thought this, the sconces along the walls rose higher with the addition of his power. Despite Hana's attempt to counter him, he was able to bring a ball of fire into existence before him. It was not large and it would not be effective, but it forced Enrhyll to draw back from the other elements so that he could prevent his palace from burning down around him.

The tyrant focused on the hungry flames around him and calmed their fury while the rest of the elements dissipated. Furious now at being challenged again, Enrhyll narrowed his eyes at the pair across from him and he muttered darkly, "If you want fire so badly, you can have it." Imperiously, he waved Hana's ability off and she looked at him uncertainly before she stepped back and the budding flame roared upwards so high that the tongues licked the ceiling.

Kyuhyun blanched at the pillar before him, unprepared for the fear it still wrought in him. Slowly, the monster of living flame curled down towards him and as his breathing started to increase, the air moving through his lungs fast and shallow, he felt the heat keenly.

He was not the only one. Summer became aware of the heat immediately in front of them as she felt the power surge. It was also impossible to miss that Kyuhyun himself was heating up, his body and arms becoming uncomfortably warm. Through the fog of her muddled mind, she understood intrinsically that if she neutralized Kyuhyun, they would both die, a possibility that was becoming more likely with each passing moment anyway. "Stop it!" she cried and blindly reached to quell the power in front of them.

Hana grinned at the power her lord possessed. His glory was unquestionable and she could see that those who defied him would soon perish beneath the flames they had called. It was a fitting end for them, she decided smugly. It was not until Kwan stepped up to her with a questionable look at her lord and mentioned, "Is he flushed?"

"Of course not!" she snapped immediately, annoyed that he would ask something so stupid. Then she took another glance and noticed that Enrhyll was indeed beginning to get red and if she didn't know better, she could see vapors beginning to rise from him. "No," she gasped in incredulity. It was impossible. He was perfect… There was no way the fires would be able to harm him. Her nostrils flared as she determined it was something they were doing. She didn't know what it was, but somehow they were making him more susceptible to the fire.

With new determination, she focused her power on Kyuhyun and pressed back on his element forcefully. If she stopped him, then Enrhyll would be able to finish it quickly and they would stop affecting him adversely. Yes. That was it.

Enrhyll felt the interference almost immediately. Hana was neutralizing Kyuhyun despite his order to leave him alone. She was defying him directly. How dare she do this… Savagely, he pulled back from his pressing attack so quickly that the flames popped as they died.

Hana felt her certainty falter when her lord focused an irate expression on her and she took a step back hesitantly. "My lord?" she asked softly, her gaze flickering over to the two he had just been focused on who were now clinging to each other, huddled near the ground.

"I told you not to interfere," he whispered savagely, a cutting expression in his eyes.

"But, my lord-" she started to explain before his expression transformed to a dangerous snarl with teeth bared and he lashed out to slap her across the face, the sound echoing loudly in the hall. Painfully, she stumbled into Kwan who caught her firmly as she struggled to recover.

"You do not disobey me!" he roared, an accusatory finger pointed at her.

Frightened, Hana held both hands to her cheeks and nodded quickly, "O-of course my l-lord. I-I mean no-no, my lord," she stammered and dropped her eyes, unable to look at him.

After a few breaths, his expression changed again and he looked back at Kyuhyun and the woman he had called Summer. So she was their neutralizer. Already, she had been quite a pain…so much so that he debated getting rid of her right now. He glanced back at Hana and narrowed his eyes in thought before he decided he would not yet. Perhaps she would be more agreeable soon. Her behavior was easy enough to explain since he had not anticipated the effect of traveling underground. Perhaps she had been driven mad and then faced with his power, it had simply been too much for her. That made sense.

As for Kyuhyun though…the young man had defied him quiet openly. He appeared particularly attached to this young woman; considerably more so than he had to Eleanara. Stupid. To let his emotions get in the way like that. It was obvious that he had not been thinking about what he was doing when he had attacked him, so should he punish him for the transgression or forgive him for his error. Hmm. No. A slap on the wrist never taught anyone properly. For a lesson to be learned, they had to have something to remember it by. But what…?

Unaware of the thought process of the tyrant nearby, Kyuhyun and Summer were exhausted and nearly senseless for the amount of power they had expended, but they were alive and together. Both trembled in each other's arms as tears fell freely. They had shifted slightly so that Summer's arms were wrapped firmly around his chest and he cradled her head against his shoulder with the other arm looped possessively around her back. "You're alive," she sobbed, too relieved to be worried now that the powers around them were quiet. She was simply overjoyed at the revelation that he was here and well and she could hold him to her. It was a dream she had not dared to hope for.

"I've got you," he murmured softly, his voice thick and full of emotion. He had not imagined how good it would feel to see her again, to hold her close. Nor was he prepared for the emotions he felt when he looked up to see Kwan approaching. Anger, yes. A small amount of despair he would not openly admit to, yes. An overwhelming desire to protect her…that was new. "Get away," he hissed through his teeth, glaring at Kwan savagely.

"You know I can't do that," the captain responded quietly as he gestured to the two guards at the door.

Kyuhyun felt two pairs of hands grab his arms then, the right limb flaring to life in agony as they jostled the open, bleeding wound. "Ahhh…no…" he growled painfully as he felt his grasp slip.

"No!" Summer cried in denial as she desperately continued to hold to him. When she opened her eyes, she could still see little more than bright spots everywhere, obscuring her vision. "Don't!" she heard from Kyuhyun before something hard connected with the back of her head and she felt consciousness desert her.

Kwan replaced the dagger back in its sheathe as he watched Summer's body crumple to the floor. This encounter had not gone any way that he might have anticipated, unfortunately… Carefully, he stepped over the young woman's body and brought himself closer to Kyuhyun. "Remember what I told you," he spoke quietly before he bent to retrieve the neutralizer.

"Kwan. See to it that they are contained," Enrhyll stated simply before he inspected his hands with a single minded intensity and then took his seat in the familiar throne. He did not look at Hana who was now sporting a bright red hand print on the left side of her face, though she took her customary place until he waved her after them. "Now you may see to that one's power," he waved in Kyuhyun's direction imperiously.

Disappointment flooded Hana as she wanted to stay near Enrhyll. Why must she continue to babysit these despicable persons who continued to influence her lord in such unpredictable ways? She convinced herself that they had blinded him to her support. That was why he had struck out at her. Somehow, they had made him think that her actions were unnecessary and therefor contradictory to what he wanted…to what he needed. Very well. She would just have to protect him better from now on. He would see. Soon, he would recognize that she did everything for love of him. She just knew it.


	37. Chapter 37

Full dawn was still little more than a glimmer on the horizon when Kharin woke Eun Mi from her sound sleep. Both were still quite tired from the journey so far and the fight the other day had not helped either of them to feel rested in the least. Still, the elementalist knew they had to get moving as soon as possible and Kharin figured that Eun Mi would be of a similar thought. "Dawn?" Eun Mi asked sleepily as she cracked one tired eye, reluctantly stirring when Kharin nodded in the poor light.

As the healer quietly got up and attended to Glory, Kharin picked through the packs and found food enough that could be called breakfast. She was grateful now to Yong-Soo who had managed to hunt for them so successfully and the reminder of the young man brought him to mind. Idly, she wondered how he was doing… A touch at her shoulder called her back to the more pressing matter at hand and Eun Mi handed her a waterskin that was partially full. They hadn't had a chance to refill the containers so were drinking sparingly, giving Glory as much as they could spare in the time being.

She was just finishing the piece of cooked meat, getting dry now since it hadn't been properly prepared for a journey, and sighed, "I am ready when you are."

"Yeah. Me too," Kharin sighed heavily as she dusted her hands off on her pants and hefted the packs up to drape them over the mule who stolidly accepted the weight and then shifted from foot to foot, her ears swiveling back and forth at the various sounds she could pick up on.

Eun Mi stepped up to make sure the packs were secure, briefly showing Kharin how best to settle them before she took one more walk around camp to make sure they hadn't missed anything. The elementalist ran her hand lightly over the maul that was still hanging from one of the straps, offsetting the weight of the packs slightly. In the early morning hours, it was easy to see that the roads were still clear and no one else had yet caught up to them to provide any sort of company while on the road.

In relative silence, Eun Mi clambered back onto Glory and reached down to help haul Kharin up, the young woman having more difficulty than normal due to her lamentable soreness from riding the other day. As she achingly settled herself, her arms firmly wrapped around the healer's ribs, she sighed, "Let's go," already feeling the ache of riding another day sinking into her muscles.

Quietly, the healer clucked at Glory and reluctantly, the creature started to plod forward at a slow pace, her gait uncomfortable at first. Despite the fact that Kharin wanted to get moving as quickly as possible, Eun Mi let her amble along, her body shifting with the steps in a more practiced maneuver. She could feel the elementalist getting impatient and fidgety behind her and finally offered an explanation, "I'm just giving her a chance to get warmed up. She's not used to carrying us any more than you're used to riding her," the young woman chuckled softly with an affectionate pat on the mule's shoulder.

As Kharin had nothing she could really argue about, she grumbled quietly under her breath and waited as best she could. To distract herself, she kept an eye on the road behind them, noticing in the distance there were tiny figures that were on the move again. It looked like they weren't the only ones with places to be.

After what seemed an interminably long time, Eun Mi finally convinced Glory to move at a pace that was faster than a slow walk. It was still not nearly fast enough for Kharin but it was a step in the right direction, in more ways than one. When they did not close the distance enough to cause any concern, she focused ahead, wary of another attack from more of those things. She had nothing to go on at all that there would be any further attempts, but she would much rather be ready than caught unawares.

Painfully slowly, the sun moved above the horizon and the road fell away under the hooves of their ride, a steady clop-clop sound along the packed dirt. Left to their own devices, both women were beset by worrisome thoughts and emotions. It would be almost a relief for something else to happen to distract them from their concern for the others.

Nearly a full day had gone by since they had seen their companions and neither Leeteuk nor Siwon had been fully healed. In fact, the former might well have been more broken from their fight the other day… That was a highly depressing thought considering Kharin could clearly remember how painful the injury had been…both in simply dealing with it and in the setting of it.

Fervently, she hoped that Eleanara was free enough to help him, provided that the young woman was still alright herself. Siwon had been able to keep them up to date on what had been happening but now that even that was gone, it gave her plenty more to fret over. His last report had not been comforting, to say the least. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip around Eun Mi's ribs and then felt a hand cover hers in quiet assurance. "We're going to get there," she told the healer determinedly, her voice low and muffled behind the other woman's back.

Eun Mi didn't even question it. She nodded once and chirped an affirmative in the back of her throat before she nudged Glory with her heels, prompting the mule to a slightly faster pace. She leaned further over the creature's neck and willed her to maintain, wishing there was something more she could do to get them there faster. It was a useless wish and she acknowledged it as such, but that did not keep her from trying anyway.

Kharin, on the other hand, had other concerns, or at least prospective ones. She still didn't know what she would be able to do should there be more constructs as it was probable she would have to protect Eun Mi. The elementalist knew she didn't want to try and drag them and the mule into the shadow realm as she had no idea how the creature would react. It would be quite cruel if it somehow got away and then just kept running… More so was the fact that there was not much shadow to be found in the general area and she would ultimately prefer not to be walking until dark. That was just not her idea of practical. Even she didn't prefer to stay in shadow and it was her element.

So what did that leave her with? Certainly she could fight well enough but if it was anything like the last confrontation, then they would both be overwhelmed. She wanted to avoid that too. Considering Eun Mi was his half-sister, there was no telling what he'd do if he saw her again.

In quiet frustration, she sighed. What good was shadow if all it could do was hurt or make things…disappear? She had been able to make those men forget what they had seen with a veil of shadow. What if she could do the same but to everyone and everything that saw them? That would keep them all out of danger. Quickly, she glanced ahead and smiled as she saw a small group of three travelers heading the opposite direction. "Let me know if they act odd," she spoke quietly to Eun Mi who jumped slightly at the sudden sound of her voice.

"O-okay," she stuttered softly, uncertain as she looked over her shoulder to see Kharin frowning in concentration with her eyes closed. As requested, she looked back at the three travelers, waving as they waved at her in greeting, and then gasped as things looked slightly different. Her vision shimmered…no, it was as if there was a veil of some sort that was being pulled around them. It reminded her of looking through water until the shimmering sensation stopped and darkened.

Glory responded with confusion as she was not immune to the difference they now faced. The curtain that had been pulled around them was still see-through, but everything was shadowy and harder to see. Abruptly, her focus shifted to the travelers and she gasped again when they seemed utterly oblivious to them. Their eyes looked right through them as if they weren't there at all. "They can't see us…" she whispered quietly, her hand coming to her mouth in surprise.

At the admission, Kharin opened her eyes to see for herself and nearly lost her concentration as she had to orient to the new view she was given. The veil waivered slightly and the travelers looked curious for a moment before she was back in control and they 'forgot' the women and the mule were there at all.

"What are you doing?" Eun Mi asked in no small amount of awe. In the fight, everything had happened so fast and there had been little time to focus on what the elementalists may or may not have been able to do. This, though… She could not ignore the power of this display and it made her nervous.

Kharin waited until they had passed the trio and were further down the road before she dropped the veil, content that she could manage it. She took a deep, relieved breath and then laughed softly, almost giddy with her success. There was one she hadn't read about in the book her ancestors had left her.

Carefully, she forced herself to relax and released Eun Mi's waist to shake out her arms. "I made them forget we were here," she explained at last with a glance back at the travelers who had not looked behind them. Those few others behind them heading the direction they were, were not close enough to see the difference, or could easily explain their appearance and such as a trick of the vision.

Eun Mi remained quiet as the knowledge sank in. That was a very powerful thing indeed…to be able to make one forget. "Is it permanent?" she asked into the ensuing silence.

The elementalist sat up straighter and turned her head to the side as she thought about it. "I'm really not sure," she admitted after a pause. "I didn't hurt them, though," she added, as if that could make it better.

The healer frowned and felt her stomach knot. No, she hadn't hurt them but she had tampered with their memories completely without their knowledge or permission. "Can you restore the memories that you make them forget?" she asked next, much quieter this time. An extended pause met her question so that she had to look over her shoulder to see why she had not answered.

"I don't know," Kharin admitted again when she was forced to confront that possibility as well.

"So you just play with their memories, never mind what repercussions it might have on them?" the healer demanded, more afraid of the power than she had been before. The physical attacks she could understand but this power was something she could not defend herself against or run away from. It acted on one without their knowledge that anything was even the matter. Gods forbid she decide she want to do something with that ability that was for ill…

Her elation faded at Eun Mi's reaction and Kharin felt her annoyance rise to the front, pressing and determined. "Hey!" she snapped, making the healer jump slightly. "Would you rather I just kill them then? Because that has been the alternative for most of the confrontations we've had."

Eun Mi had to pause at that. Neither situation was ideal and she was disinclined to just let it go at that. "No…but you can't just tamper with people like that. It's not right," she ended stubbornly.

Kharin felt like pulling her hair at the oversimplified point of defiance. "And it's right that your brother is doing what he's doing?"

"That's different," Eun Mi started to say but Kharin kept going.

"Right that our friends have been injured at his hands? That he has now taken them for his own reason?" the elementalist snarled.

"Of course he's wrong," the healer tried to interject.

Kharin growled through her teeth and added a final line, "And I suppose you'd rather I drag us through the shadow realm where shadow constructs can follow to save your hide. Or that I should just leave you to fend for yourself if they come? It's not as if they left Yong-Soo alone," she pointed out angrily. "I know! I should just fight them all, toe to toe, like we tried when they first came at us. That's real smart," she snorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

Eun Mi felt her ears burning at the words flying behind her. She pulled Glory up abruptly and felt Kharin bump into her when she was unprepared for the stop. The mule pulled at the restraint nervously and side stepped awkwardly before settling down. "And who said I needed your protection?" she demanded angrily, perturbed that the elementalist would think she needed such babysitting.

"I did!" Kharin answered abruptly. "When you decided you had to come with me to find the others, you became my charge because you damn well can't protect yourself!"

"Yes I can!" Eun Mi retorted sharply.

"How?" was the elementalist's more calm reply.

The healer floundered for a few seconds as she gestured ineffectively and futilely tried to come up with a reasonable, respectable answer. Defeated, she slumped forward and sighed dejectedly, "I don't know." She had never learned to fight like her cousin had and it was not something her mother had ever pressed her to do either. The only thing she could do well was run away and even that only worked to some extent. Given her inability to fight, why had she come along?

Kharin placed a surprisingly gentle hand on Eun Mi's shoulder and turned her enough to look her in the face. "I don't pretend to enjoy everything that I do or am able to do," she stated honestly. She really had struggled with the destructive nature of her power after their first real fight, but it was _her _power and she certainly wasn't going to run away from it. "Sometimes we just have to do things we don't want to." There was really no other way to explain it. It wasn't as if she wanted to fight in this war, but because of how things had ended up, here she was.

For a moment, it looked as if Eun Mi was going to say something, but then Kharin stiffened and frowned as she looked ahead. The healer turned around to see what she was looking at and her eyes widened in fright as their fears materialized in front of them. In the midmorning hour, more constructs appeared on the road and in the air. They still seemed intent upon the most recent travelers they had come upon but it was only a matter of time before they made it to the two women.

Kharin took a deep breath and nodded to herself. "Just keep moving forward, Eun Mi. If this doesn't work, I'll think of something," she promised the young woman in front of her. At least there weren't as many as the last time. That alone gave her more hope than she had before. Determinedly, she closed her eyes and held tight to Eun Mi again as she envisioned the veil she had made earlier. Slowly, she tightened the shadow 'fabric' around them, enclosing them in the semi-opaque mesh once more.

Her concentration slipped slightly when Glory started moving and she jerked, her sense of balance disturbed again. The fabric thinned slightly and then reformed seamlessly. As they closed the distance between the constructs and themselves, Kharin recognized the feel of the shadow constructs and immediately after that, she felt an enormous draw on reserves as the veil struggled to make the elemental constructs turn away.

The shadow elementalist gasped as she realized instantly that they were entirely unlike human minds. Whereas the travelers had felt like a gentle push against her barrier, their thoughts easy to turn aside, the constructs felt more as if they were using a battering ram against a wooden door. Fiercely, she steeled herself and ignored everything beyond her veil, praying that Eun Mi would be able to guide them around the constructs should they try to head directly over them.

The healer gripped Glory's reins so hard her hands ached. Her eyes were wide in her face as she stared at the approaching constructs. They seemed oblivious to the fact that they were here until they got close enough at which point they seemed confused. The light and wind constructs floated overhead, casually sweeping back and forth across the road but the shadow construct nearest them looked at their space quizzically.

It paced back and forth, completely ignoring the cowering travelers they had alarmed. The ground nearby rippled as an earth construct swam slowly past them, ignorant of their presence, or so it would appear. With a firm hand on the skittish mule, Eun Mi angled them away from the shadow construct. "Come on," she breathed quietly, her body trembling as the shadow construct still seemed confused, like it could sense that something was a bit off. Its companion continued on down the path, oblivious.

"Just a little longer," Eun Mi breathed over her shoulder at Kharin when she felt the other woman shudder. As much as she wanted to make the mule run, she dared not for fear of alerting the construct to their presence by sound alone.

The shadow construct remained where it was and it was with aching slowness that they finally pulled away. Kharin remained tense even after she felt their attention shift from her and ease up from the veil she had maintained. Distressingly, she felt a headache coming on when she continued to try and maintain their cover. "Are they out of sight?" she whispered quietly with her eyes still tightly shut.

Eun Mi shifted to see better and then shook her head. "No, but I don't think they'll be able to see us this far out," she assured the other woman with a worried glance at her riding companion.

Kharin wanted to maintain the veil just a bit longer to be on the safe side but she found that she couldn't. A particularly sharp pain in her temples drove her to stop preemptively and she leaned against Eun Mi heavily, hiding her face against the other woman's back to cut down on the hurtful light that stabbed her eyes when she opened them carefully. "Well it worked…" she groaned miserably. Slowly, she forced herself to take several deep breaths and gradually the muscles in her back and shoulders started to relax. Her headache subsided to a more tolerable level, though it was still quite severe, if not debilitating.

"Are you alright?" Eun Mi asked softly while she peered over her shoulder. All traces of her irritation from earlier were gone, replaced by worry and relief.

"I'm fine," Kharin stated tiredly, waving away her concern. "Let's just keep going," she urged instead, tightening her grip around the other woman as she rested her head against her back with eyes closed and a moderately tense expression.

Still concerned, Eun Mi nodded her head at last and nudged Glory into a faster pace, eager to be away from this place and as close to the capitol as possible. Urgently, they pressed on, overtaking several travelers on foot and marking their faces as little more than blurs in their passage. They paused briefly a little after midday for food and water, during which time Kharin sat with her head in her hands, still nursing the dull, persistent ache that resided there. Sustenance helped to soothe it just that much more and then they were on their way again. They both prayed that there would be no more constructs on their path. Neither Kharin nor Eun Mi knew what they would do if they ran into another group…

Off in the distance, they could see the occasional farmstead and they did skirt around one small village off the main road in the earlier part of the afternoon. The pair declined to stop for anything more than refilling their water, though Eun Mi would have liked to have gotten better food for Glory. Grass would have to suffice for now as there was plenty of that to be found and the feed would simply weigh her down more. Determinedly, they pressed on as the sky gradually began to darken with the sun racing them to the horizon.

Their hearts and bodies were weary as the light slowly faded and Glory had long since slowed to a fast walk. Tired eyes peered ahead almost desperately and Kharin was grateful only that the horrid headache had finally faded. Conversation between them had been sparse all day after they had evaded the constructs and it seemed as if a pall had settled over them. That changed though, when they both noticed the large structure in the distance that rose above the ground, still far away yet, but they could see the capitol city of Lornhaldt.

"There it is," Eun Mi sighed, remembering the city fondly, with the exception of her half-brother.

"Soon," Kharin promised herself as she allowed the tentative feeling of relief to wash over her.

Both understood that they would not be able to make the city with the light they had left and while they may have been able to make it through the night, they both badly needed the rest. As much as she wanted to argue otherwise, Kharin acknowledged that she was about tapped out. A lot of good she would be if she got to the city and couldn't gain entrance or even function as she needed to because she did not rest like she should have. Reluctantly, they stopped for the night, eating what they could and leaving just enough for the morning. Water they shared freely and Eun Mi refused to budge on taking the first watch. With reluctance, Kharin allowed herself to lay down first and was out before she even had time to worry about falling asleep.

* * *

><p>Fortunately for the trio, the evening passed by without any disturbances and Eunhyuk was woken by Henry during the later part of the evening when it was still quite dark and there was a chill in the air. The banked fire was a reassuring presence and Eunhyuk huddled near it as he listened to the sounds beyond his sight. He summoned a few tendrils of wind to help him listen but the whispers he caught were nothing more than what he would have expected.<p>

In the dark of the night without the others around to help safeguard his thoughts, or the minstrels awake to distract him, Eunhyuk found his mind wandering. He was well and truly alone now and it was not a feeling he was inclined to like. The other elementalists were…well, he didn't know and Summer was captured. Hangeng had been taken and Henry had been injured because of them too. Dejectedly, he curled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top of them, his arms wrapped around his legs tightly.

He felt his throat get tight as everything just seemed to press down upon him. It was up to him to get to the capitol and somehow make it up to the minstrels who really did not have to be here at all. He knew that they were supposed to be back at Silverberg manor where they would be safe and unharmed; not out here on the road in the path of danger that seemed to follow him.

Distractedly, he traced figures in the ground, wiping them away almost as soon as he was finished. It was a huge relief when the sky finally started to lighten with the sun's light, helping to chase away the prevalent gloom that clouded his thoughts. Eunhyuk unfolded slowly, stretching out his legs and rotating his arms carefully. He was still more stiff than he preferred to be, especially after the other day's fight.

"How was the watch?" Zhou Mi asked softly as he sat up and peered at the elementalist over the bed of coals that was their fire.

"Quiet," Eunhyuk responded immediately as he forced a smile and hastily got to his feet, wincing when some of his muscles complained bitterly.

"I would hope so," Henry murmured sleepily, one hand propping him up while the other scrubbed at his eyes, wiping the sleep away hastily. Despite his attempts, he yawned hugely and laughed at himself, pressing a hand to his chest when the action made the wound ache.

"Easy," Eunhyuk was quick to say, moving over immediately to assist when Zhou Mi would have otherwise.

"I'm okay," the younger man assured him with a chuckle that faded to a grimace when his body decided otherwise. Rest had given him more energy but it also allowed him to take better stock of the damage to his person. Weariness made his senses dull and now everything was sharp again. "Almost," he amended quietly with a glance up at the elementalist.

"Just rest," Eunhyuk encouraged with a smile. He placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder and gently pressed him back. "We've got a little time before we'll get moving again." He looked over at Zhou Mi for confirmation and the taller minstrel shrugged and nodded in agreement. They would certainly need food and there was always Lute to attend to.

With practiced ease, Zhou Mi stood up and started to get their breakfast going. Soups and stews were always good and seeing that the ingredients were easy to transport without them spoiling, it was no wonder he prepared them so often. Nor did it take him long to get it going as he stoked the fire to life and kept an eye on the other two surreptitiously. He could tell that something was bothering Eunhyuk but that was really only to be expected, given everything that had happened of late.

The sun rose quickly as they all got moving finally. Soup was dispensed among them and Lute was seen to with a bowl of water that she greedily made disappear, lipping around the bowl to see if there was any more to be found. After a moment, she gave up and went back to cropping the grass she could reach. When they had spared enough time to get things marginally clean, the trio clambered back into the cart after Zhou Mi hooked the reluctant Lute back into the traces.

Without any more delay, the trio was back on the road, a few travelers already present as they plodded along at an easy trot. Eunhyuk held to his silence tightly, his thoughts still troubled as he stared ahead, both worried and wary of what was to come. He had no way of knowing what else might get thrown at them as they had already bypassed a patrol and fought off constructs.

He couldn't ignore the minstrels either though, who were carrying on a steady conversation about the history of this area and how things had changed. Eunhyuk listened with some interest as he turned his head to catch their words better, but his gaze never left the road ahead. The sun moved steadily, just as they did down their path save when they had to take a break.

Their afternoon break was the time that Eunhyuk was most concerned about in fact, and he grew tenser the closer they got to pulling off for a quick bite. They had been attacked around midday yesterday. Would that happen again? He stayed on the cart when they paused and wolfed down the roll he was given, smiling in embarrassment as they looked at him curiously.

"Would you like another?" Zhou Mi asked politely, extending a second travel roll to the blonde.

He laughed in response and waved his hand. "No, no. I'm good," he assured the minstrel with an embarrassed flush across his face.

"If you say so," Zhou Mi shrugged and replaced the food back in the pack.

Henry reached up to clap the elementalist on the shoulder from his vantage in the back again. They had essentially traded places since Eunhyuk was seated with Zhou Mi in the front and he was now resting in the bed of the cart. It was infinitely more comfortable than sitting upright on his own. "It'll be alright," he assured the elementalist with a cheerful smile.

"I hope so," Eunhyuk smiled back slowly. He wanted to believe that so very much, but he just couldn't quite yet. Maybe when he got to the capitol, but still this far out, he had nothing certain to go on. Things weren't even close to being resolved just yet… Almost as if conjured up by his thoughts, Eunhyuk felt a familiar stirring down the road ahead of them and he sighed heavily.

As he looked ahead, the minstrels followed his gaze, perplexed. "What is it?" Zhou Mi asked softly, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Are those what I think they are?" Henry asked quietly, a slight tremor in his voice as he squinted down the path. He wasn't sure if he was up to facing them head on again. Not with the wounds he'd incurred from their last clash.

Eunhyuk nodded with a determined expression. "Constructs…"

"Bugger," Zhou Mi frowned fiercely with a concerned glance at his younger companion. They had weathered the last confrontation well, all things considered, but he would not have them do so again with Henry in his current condition. "Can we avoid them do you think?"

Eunhyuk shook his head slowly. "Not with me here," he admitted softly as he looked over at the pair, a mixture of fear blended with the determination that was still prevalent.

"Eunhyuk…" Henry started to say but then wasn't sure what the words were supposed to be.

"They feel me, just like I feel them," the elementalist shrugged. "At least the wind constructs," he amended. He couldn't follow the other three types unless he could see them so he hoped the same could be said for them.

"We can't let you face them alone," Zhou Mi stated hesitantly, clearly torn.

"And I can't let you be hurt because of me. Not again," the elementalist sighed with an apologetic look down at Henry. "I'm pretty sure they'll leave you alone if I meet them," he breathed softly, his heart racing at the prospect. As the wheels in his mind turned frantically, he was trying to formulate some sort of plan and while nothing solid was forthcoming, he had a few thoughts that might work. His biggest concern was the earth constructs and he didn't know how many he was going to be dealing with.

Henry and Zhou Mi looked between each other even as the taller of the two reached under the seat for the swords they had replaced. He held them gingerly, nervousness easy to read in his posture and expression. "You mean to let them take you, don't you?" he asked bluntly, forcing the elementalist to meet his gaze.

"You can't!" Henry denied immediately, looking ahead worriedly as the dots he had seen started to become more defined as they closed in. Obviously, they couldn't feel him yet, else they would be moving much quicker, but there was no mistaking they were heading this way.

"Don't worry," Eunhyuk summoned up as much false bravado as he could and grinned at them enthusiastically. "I've got a plan," he winked as he slid off the side of the cart before they could say anything else.

"Hey!" the minstrels cried in unison with a simultaneous glance at each other. Neither liked the idea but seeing they had nothing better to offer and that the elementalist was quite determined in his course of action, there was little they could do or say otherwise. They were frustratingly out of their league here and they knew it. "Be careful," Zhou Mi stated softly, torn in every which direction as he watched Eunhyuk go out to face them alone.

"Good luck," Henry forced a similar smile, giving what little encouragement he could, feeling quite horrid for allowing him to go anyway.

The elementalist was glad they did not fight him too hard on his decision. He wasn't so sure he could go through with it for while he did have ideas…some better than others, he was absolutely terrified. With anxious eyes, he scanned the ground, wary of the constructs that would be hidden there. All he could see was Summer's scared face before she had been dragged under. Above all else, he needed to avoid that so he paid special attention to the ground.

Eerily, he felt the moment they recognized him and his breathing sped up as he prepared himself. The two shadow constructs were fast, heading for him at a frightening sprint. He sent a prayer to the gods to make sure the minstrels were left alone as he had no time to spare for them now. A glance to the sky showed three wind constructs and just the one light construct. The fliers he dismissed quickly, focusing on the land creatures instead and light on his feet in case the ground tried to turn soft on him.

"Come on," he hissed to himself as he glared at the shadows sprinting at him. Abruptly, he threw a gust of wind down at the first lupine creature, catching it full in the face so that the opposing force hefted it up and tossed it backwards. The second continued as if nothing had happened, desperately trying to close the distance. A hasty wind blade clipped it before it could get near, the sharp bite of wind cleaving through its side effortlessly.

Eunhyuk grimaced at the effect his attacks had on him as well. Even just these few attempts left him feeling weaker than the other day; proof enough that he was not yet recovered from the expenditure the day before. For just a second, he spared a glance upward and noticed the four fliers coming down at him. Almost too late he recognized the ground giving way under him and he threw a panicked gust of wind at his feet, helping to toss him away even as the ground was whisked away by the force of his reaction.

The earth construct there flailed wildly, only partially destroyed by the attack. Mesmerized, he watched as it started to reform the missing pieces as it shrank in size, becoming whole in a matter of seconds. Instantly, he was back on his feet as the construct returned to the ground, disappearing in a heartbeat. Worriedly, he looked back to the sky and barked a laugh to see the fliers reorienting themselves from the buffet of wind that clipped them too. "Come on already!" he yelled at them angrily. When he actually wanted them to get close, they took their damn time…

He had to turn his attention away to deal with the restored shadow constructs. Tactless creatures, they continued to bolt straight for him. The wind blade he threw this time was considerably more successful, splitting the one entirely in half so that it dissipated almost immediately; its companion was bowled over again.

Impatient and worried, Eunhyuk reached up at the wind constructs and grabbed for them, feeling their solidity easily before he yanked in an effort to bring them closer. He would deal with the light construct later. As he was focused elsewhere, the ground gave way again and he released them to throw another blast of angry wind straight down which had the effect, this time, of launching him straight up. The tail wind of the attack had snagged the fliers and brought them within reach of him and he wildly grabbed for the nearest one.

For just a second, the wind construct seemed confused about whether he was attacking it or whether it had captured him. In the next instant, it wrapped its long, sinuous body firmly around the elementalist as it struggled to maintain its height in the air. The other three fliers quickly caught up and set themselves about as additional support and escorts with the light construct latching onto the first shoulder it came across, his left, talons digging into the flesh.

Alternately, Eunhyuk wasn't sure whether to be elated or frightened as his plan had worked thus far. He was away from the earth constructs and he was on his way. A worried glance back showed that the minstrels were still where he had left them, watching after him intently, but the constructs had left them alone. The shadow construct circled the spot Eunhyuk had just been before it ran past the cart, Lute spooking briefly at something underfoot.

When they had gotten some distance on the minstrels, Eunhyuk began to examine his predicament closer. The light construct hurt where it had grabbed him and he frowned in thought, unsure how the others might act if he should act against one of them. The other problem being it was tricky trying to use his power this close to his person for any attacking purposes.

Awkwardly, he reached around the body of the construct holding him and retrieved the sai from the right side of his body, sliding it from its sheathe quickly. They seemed oblivious to him for the moment, having succeeded in their initial task, which was quite fine by him. With a deep breath, he steadied himself and stabbed at the light construct's legs. They were slender enough that the center prong nearly severed the first limb completely, and with a quick twist, he was able to separate it completely.

Immediately, the light construct snapped at him as the one foot disintegrated into the air. Eunhyuk brought the sai up to deflect the jaws as the other constructs stirred around him, the one holding him tightening around his torso uncomfortably. He set his jaw firmly and reached out with his power, forcefully commanding them to stop. Reluctantly, the wind constructs halted in place, floating in mid-air, allowing him to divert enough attention to dealing with the light construct quickly.

He summoned a gust of air that enveloped the group and caught hungrily at the outstretched wings of the dragon. It flapped uselessly against the steady force, relinquishing its hold entirely when Eunhyuk caught the other leg with his sai. Left with no anchor, the light construct tumbled end over end in the air, desperately trying to orient itself. While it was distracted, the elementalist focused on the wind constructs as he held them steady and determinedly, he pulled at one of the two nearest him, fiercely trying to tear it apart.

It was considerably harder than he had imagined it might be, holding them at bay and attacking the one at the same time. He would not be able to keep this up for long and a quick glance down showed that he was so high up. Nor could he discount the light construct making its way back towards him either.

Faced with multiple concerns, Eunhyuk realized his plan was a bit rushed. Hastily, he 'shoved' the wind constructs away, having a difficult time focusing on just two of the three creatures so while he was successful, the one that was holding him was also inclined to listen, albeit a bit slower. The sinuous body relinquished its firm hold around his torso so that he slid through, scrambling to catch hold on something that allowed very little purchase.

The tip of the sai dragged ineffectively against the creature's body when he tried to stop himself and then he was falling. Wind rushed past him swiftly, grabbing at his clothes and hair as he flailed in an attempt to right himself. When he saw the ground approaching quickly, he panicked and reacted, summoning wind to his aid. A huge gust caught him full in the face, dragging bits of debris and dirt with it, but the effect was enough to stop him and then send him flailing back into the air, overcompensating in the opposite direction.

Out of control, Eunhyuk screamed as he lost sight of the ground again, tumbling through the air. By blind luck more than anything else, he came into contact with the light construct, one of the wings brushing against him as he scrambled. Desperately, he contorted his frame to face the creature and sank the sai into its back, anchoring himself in the air for the briefest time before the pain in his right hand became too much and his grip slipped.

Again, he tumbled through the air towards the ground, but this time he had a better idea of what to expect. His heart raced in his chest as he called on the wind again but instead of his all or nothing approach, he funneled it under him, attempting to direct the flow around his body. Rather quickly, he came to a halt and found himself floating in the air as the wind howled around him. He nearly lost his concentration when he saw the constructs floating around him, foiled in their attempts to reach him for the force of the wind that tossed them away as soon as they tried.

"Hah!" the elementalist laughed, giddy with relief and triumph. Splayed out in the air, he finally allowed himself to focus more on his surroundings as he jerked almost convulsively to keep his precarious balance. They were still mostly over the road, though their escapades had sent them slightly off course. The ground was clear save for a few travelers who were looking up in great confusion, drawn by the aerial acrobatics and the sound of his cries no doubt.

Carefully, he tried to move himself forward, the command inching him ahead very slowly. Impatiently, he tried for faster and found himself being catapulted forward, arms wind milling backwards in a frantic effort to slow down. That thought ended up tossing him backwards into the following constructs who got caught up in the swirling winds so that the light construct collided with the wind constructs. In the resultant tangle of bodies, one of the latter was torn apart when they violently attempted to break free from each other and the uncontrollable winds.

Alarmed, Eunhyuk just wanted to stop and even that simple directive went awry as the winds around him died down, lowering him to the ground on the fading winds. Weary with attempting to control something he did not yet understand, he allowed himself to continue falling, conscious enough to slow his descent so that he landed with a modicum of control.

With a glance back at the pursuing constructs, he glared fiercely and the winds around him died completely. "Go away!" he snarled, hurling biting gusts of wind at the pursuers, the sharp edges tearing at the fabric of the constructs.

Unable to flee fast enough, the wind tore away at their bodies quickly, wearing them down until they simply fell apart. Abruptly, he fell to his knees, feeling the full weight of the usage of his power as a feeling of lethargy stole over him. He was aware of the travelers on the road as they skirted around him in a mixture of awe and some fear. Amusingly, he also noticed his sai stuck in the ground ahead of him, having been freed when the light construct fell apart.

For a moment, he just stared at it as he tried to collect his thoughts. He had been flying… That alone was exhilarating and alarming. The amount of control needed was considerable as well and when distracted or tired, it was decidedly difficult. Flying was not something he'd be attempting again before he had a chance to rest up, of that much he was certain. Now though…he was at a loss as to what he should do.

He knew he needed to move forward, but he had no supplies and he wasn't sure how far the capitol still was. It was also frustrating in that he didn't know how far the minstrels were behind. Maybe he could just sit here for a moment and take a break… That certainly felt like a good idea when he pitched forward and curled up on the ground, quite oblivious to his surroundings.

* * *

><p>As soon as the constructs had bypassed the skittish Lute and gone around the minstrel's cart, Zhou Mi had snapped the reins to set them in pursuit of Eunhyuk as he was flown away by the constructs. He wasn't sure what the elementalist's plan was but it was obvious that he had wanted to be captured, specifically by the flying creatures. The minstrel knew from experience that he could control the wind creatures, or at least stall them out, so maybe he was going to use that.<p>

Almost recklessly, he guided the cart around the sparse traffic on the road, careful to avoid the persons on foot as they looked at him as if he were crazy. Ordinarily, that would have concerned him, but he had bigger problems to worry about just now. "Pot hole!" he warned to his companion in the back before the wheel hit the dip in the road, jarring everything painfully.

Henry grimaced when the shock reverberated through his body and groaned in relief as they resumed their all-out gallop. Determinedly, he kept one hand on the back of the front seat to help him peer over the edge but he remained reclined otherwise. For at least a little while, they had been able to see Eunhyuk before he was taken out of immediate sight. They knew where he was being taken though and could only hope that he would either get free soon or that it was his intention to be taken all the way there…

Given their startling lack of understanding, it was both a surprise and a relief to find a small crowd clustered nervously around someone on the ground just off the side of the road. For a brief, heart stopping moment, they both feared the worst until Zhou Mi pulled up Lute and practically threw himself off the cart, shouldering his way through the small group with abandon. "Eunhyuk!" he called as he knelt next to the young man and quickly reached to feel for a pulse. Relief flooded through him when he felt the steady beat under his fingers.

"How is he?" Henry asked as he slowly limped over to join the group.

"Alive," Zhou Mi grinned giddily as he concluded that he had somehow managed to get rid of the constructs in turn.

"Of course," Henry stated as if he never had a doubt. "Oh look!" he exclaimed in surprise when he caught sight of the sai sticking in the ground not that far from them. Stiffly, he hobbled over to the weapon and retrieved it, wiping the prongs off before he carried it back to his companions.

"Come on," Zhou Mi urged as he awkwardly hauled Eunhyuk into his arms. The elementalist seemed unharmed, but none of his brief attempts to wake him had yielded any results and that was at least some cause for concern.

As he carried the young man back to the wagon, Henry stopped to speak with the remaining travelers…those that had lingered anyway. From them, he was able to gain a vague understanding of the highly unusual and impossible events they had just witnessed. If even part of what he gleaned was true, it was no wonder Eunhyuk slept as he did.

Hurriedly, he made his way back to the cart and with some assistance from Zhou Mi, resumed his position in the back, beside the sleeping elementalist. Quickly, he outlined what he'd heard for his companion's benefit and took over tending to Eunhyuk while Zhou Mi resumed driving. The remaining onlookers watched them go with various emotions etched on their faces.

"Do you think he'll wake up soon?" Henry asked speculatively while he settled one of the flatter packs under the other man's head.

"If what they saw was true…I highly doubt it," Zhou Mi sighed with a backwards glance. He had resumed a much more stately pace now that they had retrieved their wayward member and was trying to sort things out in his head.

The minstrels had a great deal to think on in the meantime and for once, they were unusually quiet. Since they had managed to elude the most recent batch of constructs, there was a good chance that they would either not meet anymore or at least have some time before they met again. It was their goal to make the city or be almost there by the time night fell this day.

Steadily, Lute pulled them onward throughout the rest of the day. The travelers they passed along the way were like those they'd met prior to being separated, only more numerous. They were fortunate in not running into another patrol either. As the day wore on, they saw the city of Lornhaldt rise up before them and were infinitely relieved to have arrived about on schedule. In the failing light, they pulled off to the side of the road to set up camp.

It wasn't that they didn't have time to make the city before nightfall, but they did not wish for the guards to be looking too closely. They were unsure how much those in the city knew about the elementalists and wanted to have at least a measure of preparation before they waltzed right in. When they had set up camp, they were able to rouse Eunhyuk enough to have him eat and drink a bit before he fell right back into an exhausted slumber, content that he was safe in their company.

"It's going to be a long night, isn't it?" Henry asked with an amused smile at the sleeping elementalist.

Zhou Mi nodded slowly but then perked up considerably, "Yes, but at least it will give me time to work on that song we were talking about." Having said that, he went to retrieve the writing book while Henry settled himself on the other side of the fire, more than ready to call it a night. As he drifted to sleep, he could hear Zhou Mi murmuring softly under his breath, humming a tentative bar or two as he scribbled hastily on a page.


	38. Chapter 38

In his throne, Enrhyll fidgeted in frustration as he ran over the events of the morning in his mind. He was beginning to have this suspicion that the elementalists were not going to accept him as their god like they were supposed to. For the feral Kyuhyun and Eleanara, he had already written them off for now. Their insistence upon opposing him and getting in his way when he was dealing with others was…aggravating to say the least. Why? He was better than them in every way! Why did they continue to insist upon resisting what was the natural course of order?

Clearly, they had been twisted somehow. Even after he had made them forget those nasty lies about him, they still resisted and thought he was the bad guy here. Worse still, the newest elementalists were equally as frustrating for no good reason. He had invited the two elementalists to breakfast this morning, as he had for both Kyuhyun and Eleanara, and had equally frustrating results. Summer he had left on her own as he would see to her later. He could not control the use of her power and thus she was something to be treated slightly differently.

As for the other two though; the only thing he had done was to heal them when they had arrived. And they had even refused to give him their names… He had been nothing but polite and they did not even have the courtesy to tell him their names! Not only that, but they too had attempted to resist him as their friends had. Hana was able to control their powers and Kwan had almost been enough to forestall an attempt on him, though the tall one had certainly hit him one good time when he had tried to detain them. Why were they all so ready to fight when he was obviously so much more powerful than them?

All they had been concerned about were the others; especially the stubborn earth elementalist. He was not grateful in the least and had demanded…demanded, to see the others here. How dare he make demands of him! Just thinking about it made him angry and the flames in the wall sconces flickered briefly. His hands clenched reflexively from where they were hovering in front of his face and he scowled before smoothing the features out. He would have had no problem with enlightening them had they but respected him, as was right.

On the one hand, he was prepared to make some allowances for the water elementalist and even the neutralizer, considering how they had arrived. He had not considered the effects of traveling underground and so he would give them another chance, but the rest had no such excuse. As he had told Eleanara, if they would not love him, then they would fear him and that had been most satisfying prompting that look in her eyes. A rather cruel smirk made its way to his face at the memory. They were afraid of him after all and that was a powerful feeling.

Content with that thought, he leaned back in his throne and moved forward with his thinking. He had yet to hear back from the last set of constructs that he had sent out and it was close to midmorning. When would they find something? There were still two more out there… That stupid human the light elementalist had stopped him from dealing with was still sitting in the dungeon. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with him yet. At present, he had little use for anything and was likely just as much a nuisance now as he had been when he first arrived. Granted, he had not gone to see him since the other day. Not that he really cared to; he was just one human after all.

No. He would leave him there for now. "Hana," he called instead, raising a brow when she jumped, startled at the sound of his voice.

"Yes my lord?" she asked softly, eyes looking up through her lashes as she stepped forward.

"My people need to see their god," he smiled benevolently, a fairly angelic expression on his face.

"Of course, lord Enrhyll," Hana bowed respectfully, hiding a smile. It would be good to get away from the elementalists for a little while. She was rather glad to be away from the obnoxious Kyuhyun and hoped it would last for at least a bit longer. Every minute she had to babysit them was time she was not able to be around lord Enrhyll and she resented them for that fiercely. The others were bad enough but the fire elementalist was dreadful to be around with his sharp tongue and grating nature.

"Come, Hana," Enrhyll murmured with an imperious gesture for her to follow. She fell in behind him quickly as the guards hurried to open the doors before him, bowing deeply as he stepped past. They kept the doors open and would do so until he returned, whenever that might be.

* * *

><p>Left without specific direction, it fell to Kwan, still nursing a bruised jaw from the water elementalist, to check up on the others after Enrhyll had seen them. Unlike the first time, he had not seen fit to heal his latest guests after he had overcome them with his power. They were fortunate he had not been overly angry as Enrhyll had only hit them with wind and earth. Encasing their lower bodies in rock had not been necessary but he had a nagging suspicion that Enrhyll had wanted to taunt the earth elementalist specifically.<p>

He had every intention of seeing how bad off they were, but he would much rather know their names before he approached them and, considering their mood before, he had no guarantee they would be inclined to tell him either. He knew they had been uniformly restrained until further notice so a light guard was all that would be necessary; hopefully at any rate. When Kwan considered his options, he decided to check in with Eleanara first. Not only was she more likely to give him the information he desired, she had appeared wholly confused the last time he had seen her, and rightfully so. The loss of her memories seemed to make her more susceptible to fear and uncertainty and her last meeting with Enrhyll had done nothing to reassure her of anything.

When he came to the room she was in, there was but a single guard standing outside. Kwan nodded once, waiting for the younger man to step aside, and allowed himself into the room. Eleanara was not difficult to locate. She was seated in the center of the room, loosely bound to the straight backed chair. Apparently, she had received similar treatment like that of Kyuhyun, though she was far less likely to cause any harm either way.

"Hello, Eleanara," Kwan greeted softly, seeing the miserable state she was in. Captivity did not suit any of them well, but he doubted being alone was a pleasant experience for her. That seemed a crueler punishment really than having her bound.

Briefly, she debated if she would answer him or not, but Kwan had done nothing to hurt her so far and he was someone to speak with. Only Hana and Enrhyll had done her any wrong so far and she hated being alone… Resignedly, she sighed and murmured back, "Hello." Ineffectively, she tugged at the ropes, feeling them dig into her ankles and wrists. Her feet had been tethered to one of the legs of the chair and her wrists were secured to one side of the frame behind her. "Are you here to gloat too?" she asked with a touch of anger in her voice. That neutralizer certainly had last night.

Kwan smiled sadly and shook his head. "No. I was just checking on you," he assured her instead, a glance around the room showing it was otherwise free of persons or eyes. Apparently Enrhyll did not think her a threat after all. Eleanara remained quiet as she eyed him carefully. Kwan met her gaze steadily, a fairly neutral expression, and nodded his head once. "I also thought you might like to know that the water elementalist," and he paused there to see how she would react.

Eleanara's eyes widened slightly and she sat up, more attentive now. "Siwon?" she asked softly, hopeful and desperately wanting it to be good news.

Kwan nodded, pleased. "And the earth elementalist," another pause.

"Leeteuk?" she gasped, her eyes lighting up at the name.

He could see the hope and fear warring in her expression and he continued on quickly, "Are here. They are fine," he added, though he wasn't sure how accurate that statement was exactly. "Summer is here too," he continued, taking a tentative step towards her as he saw her start to tear up. It bothered him that she would cry at all.

Eleanara wasn't sure if she was happier that they were here and alright, if Kwan was to be believed, or sad that they were here which meant they'd been captured too. After a moment, she smiled through her tears and nodded, glad that they were alive and even if she couldn't see them, they were still close by. "Thank you," she finally murmured and took a deep, steadying breath.

"I am going to see them next if perhaps you have something you wish for me to convey?" he offered hesitantly. It was not anything that he normally did for any captives but he had spent time with her in bringing her to the capitol. She had drawn strength from Kyuhyun as often as she had given it to him in turn. Even now, she was pretending to be better than she was.

The light elementalist nodded quickly and sniffed. "Just tell them I'm alright. Please," she added, seemingly moderately happy for all that she was utterly confused and tied to a chair. She wasn't sure if they would believe him but if they were even remotely as concerned about her as she was about them, the knowledge would be appreciated.

"I will do so," he gave her a very small bow and then retreated out of the room quietly. Kwan had to push away his feelings in the matter as he had listened to what she didn't say as much as what she did. Neither she nor Kyuhyun were in Enrhyll's favor just now for unless he was mistaken, she had not been given food or water since last night. Her lips were chapped and her voice had been rougher than usual. He would bet the ropes around her wrists were tinged red again too. Forcefully, he turned his attention to the other elementalists. At least he had names now.

He made it to Kyuhyun's room easily enough. None of them were terribly far apart as Enrhyll really had meant for them to be near each other. They were all still located in the guest wing, in fact, and Kyuhyun's room was just on the other side of hers really. He had to walk by Summer's and the earth elementalist's…Leeteuk's room, to get to it. He bypassed the single guards there and continued down the hall to the fire elementalist's room.

Two guards stood watch at his door and they were a bit older and more experienced. Both had seen fighting on the field and were not easily spooked. Kwan nodded at them in acknowledgement and stepped inside where an additional two guards met him with wary glances. Their weapons were not drawn but their hands were on them, ready. This pairing was a younger man and another older one around Kwan's age. A quick glance at the blindfolded elementalist showed he had a split lip and a bruise forming across one cheek.

He didn't even need to look at the young one, his eyes darting nervously from the elementalist to Kwan, to know Kyuhyun had gotten to him easily enough. That boy and his sharp tongue… The captain stifled a sigh and stepped up to the seated and more secured young man. His hands and feet had been individually tied to the backing and legs of the chair while an additional band ran around his chest, pinning him firmly in place. Hana's doing, no doubt.

Easily, he removed the blindfold, earning a glare that faded somewhat when he saw who it was. "You again," he snorted with a derisive curl of his lip.

Behind him, Kwan could see the younger guard bristling automatically. The captain looked at him from under his brows, the attention cowing the guard instantly. "Yes. Me again," he nodded in agreement, shifting his attention back to the elementalist with a lighter expression. He was glad to see the young man was as well as he was. The wound on his arm had been hastily treated so the blood covered wrap stood out starkly from the orange of his clothes and his slightly paler complexion, but he seemed in decent spirits, all things considered.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence where neither seemed to know what to say, Kyuhyun muttered, "And what do you want, Kwan?" His tone positively dripped with insolence, but he winced when shifting jostled his arm against the upper body bindings.

Kwan stifled a sigh and unsheathed his dagger easily. The two guards seemed concerned and even Kyuhyun looked slightly alarmed at the bare blade. The captain leaned forward and grasped the bindings around his upper body before sliding the dagger under the rough rope. "No heroics this time," he murmured for Kyuhyun's ears only as he sliced through the chord with one swift pull.

"Captain!" the two guards cried in unison as Kyuhyun jerked in surprise and his brow furrowed in confusion. This time…?

He leveled his gaze at them and stood up, sliding the weapon back into the sheathe effortlessly. "That binding was not necessary," he explained simply, daring them to contradict him. They still looked uncomfortable but they subsided with a glance at the captain and the arm wound that had been relieved of constant aggravation with the removal of the rope.

"Of course, Captain," the elder of the two nodded finally, forcing himself to relax while the younger remained skeptical and unsure.

Kwan did not miss Kyuhyun's gaze either. The elementalist seemed utterly confused by his action, if not somewhat grateful. The captain nodded his head once at him in acknowledgement and then relayed, "Eleanara sends her regards and wishes to let you know she is fine." The information garnered the concern of the guards again and Kwan did not miss their suspicion.

Dark eyes narrowed at the admission and Kyuhyun demanded, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't," Kwan responded easily, with a shrug, his eyes flicking up to glance between the guards, "but you would know better than I what she would or would not say. Or would you rather I say that she was punished most soundly for doing less than you in her last meeting with lord Enrhyll?"

Kyuhyun's eyes darkened considerably at the last statement but when he glared at Kwan, he noticed the captain was not looking at him. He was focused on the guards behind him which made him stop to think. He had been forthcoming with information so far and had not actively wished them any ill, save for when he was actually trying to hurt Enrhyll. Kwan had to be aware that the second statement would just piss him off, especially if it was true. But then again, the first statement was very true. He would know what Eleanara would say and as she had never been one to let others worry about her if she could help it, she would say that she was alright, so long as it was at least partially true. Likely, that meant she wasn't and was putting on a good front, but it was indeed something he could believe as coming from her. Balefully, he looked at Kwan from under his lashes and nodded once, still trying to sort out what he had been told. He was grateful to the man for taking care of the one binding and the blindfold but he was still uncertain as to what he meant about his warning to him too. What heroics?

Satisfied for the moment, Kwan took a small breath and nodded at the guards who seemed far less suspicious with the addition of his latest statement. He took one final look at Kyuhyun before he stepped back out into the hallway where the guards met him with alert gazes. "All is well," he assured them as he quietly closed the door behind him. They nodded in agreement and resumed their stoic posts.

Kwan continued on to the next room. He bypassed the empty one that was still waiting for the next elementalist and headed for Siwon's room. The water elementalist had a single guard on the outside and he saluted Kwan nervously as he approached. "At ease," he instructed the middle aged man who seemed relieved by the comment. The guard stepped aside to allow Kwan access and the captain stepped inside to come face to face with the tallest member of their party so far. His jaw ached in remembrance of their last encounter and he took a steadying breath when he regarded the stout young man tied in a way that was more similar to Eleanara's treatment.

As soon as Siwon saw Kwan step through the door, his eyes narrowed and he automatically lunged against the restraints, prompting the single guard inside to step forward and grab his shoulder hastily as the chair tipped forward slightly. "You," Siwon growled fiercely, anger suffusing his face.

Kwan was still confused by his unexplainable anger towards him. He did not know the elementalist beyond this morning and yet he seemed convinced that he knew him. "Greetings, Siwon," he started politely instead, holding the other man's gaze steadily. It was easy to see that he was slightly bruised from the confrontation during breakfast, though no overt harm had come to him when Enrhyll had attacked them.

Siwon glared at the captain, recognizing the face he had seen in the scrying bowl many times. "You bastard," he muttered instead. It did not escape him that he knew his name, but he was more angry by what he remembered. This man had held Eleanara and Kyuhyun captive for days and had allowed the fire elementalist to be abused to at least some extent.

Slowly, Kwan waved the other guard back who carefully relinquished his grip on the elementalist's shoulder. He shrugged at the name, unable to recall how many times he had been called that in the past, and began, "I am Captain Kwan. Do I know you, sir?" he queried, completely certain he did not.

"I saw you," Siwon stated through clenched teeth. "I know how you treated them. You will pay for that," he promised quietly, settling against the back of the chair slowly.

It took a moment for the answer to sink in but then Kwan understood what he must have meant. The water elementalist had the ability to scry and it was probable that he had been following them the whole time prior to his capture. Slowly, Kwan nodded to himself and sighed. "Perhaps," he conceded quietly, to Siwon's and the guard's surprise. "Be that as it may, I see that you are well enough," he stated simply, a glance around showing that he at least had been given water even after their breakfast this morning.

Siwon remained close lipped and maintained his glare. He had promised himself that he would not forget this man's face and he was not inclined to let go of his anger so easily. Enrhyll had been far more than he had anticipated, but this man here was only human. Intently, he focused on his power, trying forcefully to do something with it to lash out at him.

If nothing else, Kwan recognized the determination in Siwon's gaze and he felt a tremor of concern. He wasn't entirely sure that the bindings would contain the elementalist any more than they had for Kyuhyun when they had been riding towards the city. "Eleanara wishes to let you know she is alright," he mentioned offhandedly, pleased when his expression faltered and the tension faded somewhat in the space between them.

"Prove it," Siwon said after a brief pause as he debated how true that might be.

"I cannot," Kwan shook his head in denial.

"Then I don't believe you," the elementalist retorted, his expression focusing again.

Kwan sighed and glanced around the room briefly. On the table, he spotted a carafe, hopefully filled with water. Quickly, he moved over to retrieve it and then made his way back to stand in front of Siwon, within arm's reach had he been free. "See for yourself," he offered, tilting the open mouth of the container towards the elementalist so he could see the water within. "You have but a moment," he warned softly with a glance at the guard who seemed concerned by the assistance.

"Captain…" the man murmured uncertainly and glanced around nervously.

"Yes?" Kwan asked imperiously in an attempt to cow the younger man. Fortunately for him, it worked and the young man twisted his features to acceptance and stepped back, ready instead.

Uncertainly, Siwon looked between the carafe and Kwan, trying to determine if this was some sort of ploy, but when he read nothing in the other man's eyes, he grumbled to himself and focused instead on the water. Immediately, he called to mind Eleanara, infinitely grateful that he did not need his hands to scry. Her image came to the surface quickly, and though she was bound and looked less than in perfect condition, Siwon could not help but smile to see the young woman alive and relatively well. He would have moved on to the others, but the container was pulled away to his consternation. "Hey!" he snapped, looking up to glare at Kwan who was returning the carafe to the table.

"As I said. She is alright, per her words," Kwan explained succinctly, having seen the smile on the elementalist's face. "The others are likewise," he added, knowing he was at least partially correct. Summer had been perfectly fine when he had left her last night and Kyuhyun was well enough, all things considered. He had yet to check on Leeteuk but that would be very soon indeed.

The water elementalist was confused and angry. It was an odd combination for him. He wanted very much to hate Kwan because for days, his was the only face he had to focus on, but at least in this meeting, he had given him a glimpse of the others, if nothing else. It was enough to give him hope which was more than he had after this morning. He could not quite muster the 'thank you' he would have otherwise, but he nodded reluctantly at the captain at last, conceding he was grateful for that little bit of vision he had been granted.

"Take care," Kwan nodded at the guard with a final parting glance at Siwon. Both parties seemed uncertain how to respond but the guard finally saluted and Siwon held his tongue, though his eyes remained on the door long after the Captain had stepped out. He had certainly given him much to think on.

Moderately satisfied with the last meeting, Kwan backtracked through the hall and headed up to Leeteuk's room, right next to Kyuhyun's. The guards there acknowledged him again before he stopped in front of the door that had but one guard again. He was younger and he definitely seemed nervous. "Step aside," Kwan instructed at the young man when he seemed a bit frozen in place.

"Yes, sir," the guard mumbled when he moved slowly out of the way, a backwards glance at the door his only other reaction.

That did not make Kwan feel all that well. When he stepped inside, he was surprised to find two guards, one partially sunk into the ground and the other holding his sword firmly against the unconscious Leeteuk's neck, a small trickle of blood seeping down to stain his shirt. The captain blinked and then stepped forward boldly, grabbing the blade of the sword with his gloved hand and shoving it away from the unconscious man in the chair. "Idiots," he hissed at the guards while he yanked off a glove and hurriedly felt for a pulse, sighing with relief when he felt one beating strongly under his fingers. Stiffly, he straightened up and with an annoyed glance at the one partially entombed and, at present, unconscious, whirled on the other shaken guard. "What happened?" he demanded forcefully.

The standing guard babbled fairly incoherently initially until he finally straightened out and managed to explain that the elementalist had insisted upon seeing his companions and knowing their fate. When his demands had been denied, he had made the earth move and tried to swallow up his guard before he had been able to knock him unconscious with the butt of his sword. The blade had been insurance in case he woke up again and tried something else.

Feeling the beginning of a headache coming on, Kwan pinched the bridge of his nose and took a calming breath. At least the fools hadn't hurt him any more than a simple scratch, though it certainly looked worse than it was. He seemed a bit more bruised than Siwon had, but that wasn't entirely surprising. He had been the one annoying Enrhyll the most this morning. Carefully, he reached down to grasp Leeteuk's chin and lifted his face up to get a better look at him. "Hey!" he called sharply, reaching up with his free hand to tap on the elementalist's face firmly. "Leeteuk!" he called again when the first attempt brought no reaction.

After a moment, Leeteuk's brow furrowed and he groaned weakly as his eyes flickered open reluctantly. It took him a moment to focus on what he was looking at and then he snapped away and tried to jerk back, freeing his chin swiftly but coming up against the backing of the chair. "What are you doing?" he demanded immediately, a glare as formidable as Siwon's gracing his expression.

"Checking on you, Leeteuk," Kwan nodded briefly, glad that he at least had some spirit left to him. The earth elementalist seemed a bit worse for wear, but at least he was cognizant.

"Why?" Leeteuk asked suspiciously, the glare fading somewhat but his expression still wary, especially since he knew his name. He had been careful not to just give that out.

"Because that is what I do." The explanation was not what he was expecting, obviously, but given the circumstances, it was quite true. Distractedly, he looked over at the guard still stuck in the floor. "I don't suppose you'd consider freeing him?" he asked with a glance at the elementalist out of the corner of his eye.

"No," Leeteuk answered quickly, shaking his head in denial.

Kwan noticed the guard behind him snarl at the response and he stepped in swiftly, "Not even for information?"

That gave him pause for thought. Leeteuk looked from the trapped guard to Kwan and measured him as best he could. Enrhyll had refused to give any sort of information on the others and while he knew Siwon had been alright since the last time he had seen him, he had no idea how the rest were. He just wanted to make sure they were alright… And he desperately wanted to know what had been done to Eleanara. Siwon had not been able to tell him much. "Your information first," he stated softly, focusing intently on Kwan.

"Only half," he negotiated in return. "The rest when you free him."

Leeteuk frowned darkly and narrowed his eyes. Oh, how he wished he could just make all of them disappear, but his control was shaky at best being bound and that would not help him get any information at present. Even if he did make them disappear, he'd still be bound and stuck in this damn room all by himself. A fat lot of good that would do him… "Fine," he grumbled reluctantly. "Half now, the rest after."

"Very well," Kwan bowed slightly, surprising the young man further. He moved closer to Leeteuk and spoke quietly, "The others are alive and well. I have just been to see them. Siwon, Kyuhyun, Summer and Eleanara," he added the last pointedly.

The earth elementalist closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to feel if what he had been told was true. He had no way of knowing for sure, but he needed to believe it. He needed for them to be alright. As much as he didn't want to assist Kwan, Leeteuk opened his eyes again and nodded slightly. Even if it was a lie, it was more than Enrhyll had been willing to give him and if the captain was lying in any way, then he would make him pay dearly for it. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to untie my hands so I can free him faster?" he asked hopefully.

Kwan gave him a deadpan expression and then quirked one brow. "You already know the answer to that, Leeteuk," he chided softly.

Leeteuk grumbled under his breath softly and then set his gaze on the man half-sunk in stone. His power was harder to control without his hands so this was going to be interesting. After a moment, his eyes narrowed and the earth around the trapped guard shimmered lightly before a platform slowly rose from under him and pushed him up out of the ground. The platform rose a bit higher than intended but when the man was otherwise free, Leeteuk stopped his summoning and slumped forward, tired from the concentrated effort needed to direct the power without additional guidance. "There!" he breathed heavily and stared at Kwan, demanding the rest of their bargain.

Another man might well have walked away then. It would not have been hard, considering Leeteuk's proud and somewhat haughty demeanor but Kwan prided himself on keeping his word. He cleared his throat and leaned forward, a menacing expression on his face which the guard behind the elementalist could clearly see. He seemed satisfied that whatever Kwan was going to say wasn't going to be pleasant. So that the guard wouldn't hear, he whispered directly into his ear, "She misses you and hopes you are well." Oh, she had not said as much to him, but he was neither blind nor a fool. He would bet a great deal that both were entirely true and by the look on Leeteuk's face, he was almost certain that he was right.

The elementalist's hands tightened reflexively behind him as Kwan told him what he actually wanted to hear. He didn't even question that she would say such things to this man; just accepted them as fact because he believed it. Quietly, he hung his head in silent acceptance and then looked back up to whisper through clenched teeth, "Let me see her. Please," he requested softly.

"You know I can't," Kwan responded just as quietly, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Leeteuk made a frustrated sound at the back of his throat before straining against the bonds briefly. It was a futile effort and he knew it, but he would be damned if he was going to sit here and not try to do anything. The others were so close…

Kwan sighed and shook his head as he stepped over to retrieve a napkin that would serve as a blindfold as well. "This is for your own good," he stated softly as he quickly tied the blinding cloth around the elementalist's eyes, despite his attempts to avoid it. Perhaps if he couldn't see, he would not be tempted to try and use his power to get himself into even further trouble. Who knew what Enrhyll would do if he found that he could use his element without his hands?

"Damn you, Kwan!" Leeteuk growled in frustration, tugging at the bindings that held him again. The rope was strong though and he couldn't see enough before the blindfold was put on to even think about trying to get himself free in this state. He was just as likely to hurt himself if he did try anything anyway.

"Keep an eye on him," he instructed the guard who saluted and nodded emphatically at the command. Easily, Kwan stepped back out into the hallway and greeted the single guard standing at the doorway again. He didn't say anything to him; just met his gaze and nodded once in acknowledgement. He would probably have to remain out of sight for a bit so that it wouldn't appear as if he was overly interested in them after this.

He figured that he should probably check on Summer since he had taken care of the others so far. It shouldn't take more than a minute, though his visits with the others had certainly taken longer than he had intended. They had been useful though, in a way. Abruptly, he nodded to himself and started to head up around the corner to the neutralizer's room.

"There you are, Kwan," Enrhyll murmured as he stepped into the guest wing and spotted the Captain walking down the hall. He was feeling much better now that he had a chance to see his people and let them recognize his superiority. "And where have you been in my absence?" he asked with a curious gleam in his eye.

Kwan bowed deeply when he came to stand before Enrhyll, noticing Hana's presence just behind him as usual. "My lord. I have seen to the elementalists. They are alive and secure and awaiting your judgment," he explained confidently, keeping his face down and his voice carefully modulated.

"Of course they are," Enrhyll stated automatically with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You are not needed here though. Go check on that imposter in the dungeon," he instructed in an offhand manner.

It was difficult for Kwan to keep his features neutral at the command. Enrhyll gave him orders all the time, but until now he had generally been relegated to staying near the elementalists. Still bowing deeply, he murmured, "Of course, my lord." He waited until Enrhyll had passed him and pointedly stood up before Hana had a chance to make it by with him still bowed. He met her smirking gaze squarely and to his amusement, she flinched when he followed her with his eyes in a manner akin to a hunter and his prey. Considering they were turning around the corner, he was going to see either Summer or Eleanara; both were equally likely…

Kwan took a small steadying breath and straightened his leather armor perfunctorily. The sooner he checked on the man in the dungeon, the sooner he would be able to return to confirm what he had missed. Purposefully, he strode out of the hall, an expression on his face daring anyone to stop him for anything.


	39. Chapter 39

The general sounds of camp in the morning woke Eunhyuk from a sound sleep while the enticing smell of fresh meat roasting over the small fire was even harder to resist. He roused quickly as the mouth-watering scent wafted over to tease him. "Good morning," Henry greeted enthusiastically when he saw Eunhyuk stir from his slumber.

"Morning," the elementalist responded as he rubbed his eyes with his palms, blinking with blurry eyes at the speaker. Sleepily, he peered around and noticed it was just beginning to lighten with the rays of the sun over the horizon. For just a second, he was tempted to lie back down and go to sleep but then memory kicked in and he sat up straight, instantly alert. "What happened?" he asked, very much confused by where he was and the presence of the minstrels. Worriedly, he cast about as he searched for any sign of the constructs.

"You are in camp with us," Henry answered facetiously, a mischievous smile playing across his features.

Zhou Mi chuckled softly at the answer and took pity on Eunhyuk's bewildered and slightly panicked expression. "We found you on the side of the road. Of course we followed you," he laughed when he saw the elementalist's surprised look.

"And if any of the stories we heard about your escape were true, then that would make a great story!" Henry clapped excitedly, earning a wry glance from Zhou Mi. "What?" he shrugged. It would make a good story…

Eunhyuk looked fairly dazed as he slowly went over the events of yesterday, trying to organize and make sense of them in his head. Eventually, the dazed look wore off to be replaced by a silly, excited grin and he laughed lightly. "I was flying," he grinned, remembering the feel of floating in air quite clearly. Despite the presence of the constructs, even they couldn't mar what he had felt upon using his power the other day.

"See?" Henry gestured pointedly, a similar grin on his face.

Without prompting, the elementalist started to recount what had happened after he had been flown away by the constructs. He could see the curiosity in their eyes and really it helped him to piece everything together in his head since all of it was still fairly jumbled. Animatedly, he described how he had gotten free and the terrifying free fall; his attempts to correct himself and how he had eventually landed on the ground to finish off the constructs with a broad attack before he apparently passed out.

Admittedly, keeping his person in the air was both easier and more difficult than he would have imagined. Staying still wasn't problematic but as soon as he tried to pick a direction, control became far trickier as overcompensation seemed to be his biggest concern.

It was easy enough for the minstrels to relay how they had followed along and found him in turn. His display had unsettled many of the travelers that had gathered around him so most weren't compelled to try and do much of anything one way or the other. In fact, the hardest part had been simply getting them to move back enough that the minstrels could get to him and whisk him away to safety. "Oh! I found this near you," Henry exclaimed, reaching over to retrieve the sai they had kept nearby. He had made sure it was cleaned and polished before they had called it a night so it glinted brightly in the morning light.

Eagerly, Eunhyuk reached out to reclaim the lost weapon while checking his person for the other, sighing in relief when it was still present. They had not decided to take it from him while he was sleeping. Holding the pair in his hands, Eunhyuk felt better and more settled; the weapons acted as a reminder of how far he had come and he felt as if the one carried a bit of Tierne's quiet strength in it. Now, he had been able to get away from the constructs again and keep Henry and Zhou Mi from getting hurt, which had been his main concern. He also had an idea for how to get inside the capitol if the minstrels didn't. It was probably a long shot, but it might well prove to be interesting.

While they busied themselves with thinking up song and story ideas for Eunhyuk's ability to fly, the elementalist looked ahead towards what was to come. He could see the capitol from where they were and as the light of day grew brighter around them, more and more persons could be seen heading towards the capitol with a handful heading out. Those that passed them paid them little to no mind, to his intense relief. He would much rather avoid attention in general just now. In fact, it appeared that most that were leaving were headed for the port city or somewhere already well under Enrhyll's control to avoid the chance of being attacked or caught in the crossfire.

Zhou Mi finished cooking while Henry jotted down more notes in the book they shared between them, trying to move as little as possible. He was healing well but it would still take time; not that it kept him from composing notes in the air when the music came to him. While he had remained in camp with Eunhyuk, Zhou Mi had managed to snare a hare with a ground trap. That was what the elementalist had smelled roasting over the fire and it helped to supplement their porridge quite nicely. Eunhyuk was not one to complain anyway and was more than happy with what they were able and willing to share. He was only perturbed he didn't have more to offer, but at least they didn't seem to hold it against him, and were very gracious hosts, all things considered.

He remained quiet until they had finished eating and then regarded the minstrels intently, waiting for their attention to shift to him. He figured it would have been rude to interrupt their meal after all they had done for him. Zhou Mi was the first to notice and he smiled politely with a nudge to get Henry's attention, who had just scribbled another passage in the book. "What's on your mind, Eunhyuk?" he asked easily, settling himself to listen.

The wind elementalist looked at the capitol nervously and then nodded to himself. "Well, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on getting in the city. Should I risk being recognized?" He was very unsure about the whole thing and wanted their opinion first. If he could get in with just their assistance, that would be preferable, but considering their situation, he had no idea.

The minstrels leaned back and appraised him for a few moments, running through ideas in their head. They didn't really have any of their more flamboyant traveling gear. That was usually reserved for the cooler parts of the year when extensive costumes became more tolerable. Chances were good that the guards in the city would be on the lookout for the remaining elementalists if nothing else and they had no good way of disguising him. Granted, it was possible they were ignorant of the elementalists in general but it was not something they would prefer to risk. Supposedly, they might be able to secret him inside by hiding him under the cart but that would take some doing. Like most carts, it did not have anything built in for that purpose.

"We could certainly try to disguise you but I'm not sure how well it might work. It depends on how closely they're checking those who are entering the city. And we do stand out a bit as is…" Zhou Mi added offhandedly. Normally, that was a good thing but they wanted to avoid attention today…not attract it. Animatedly, the minstrels formed and bounced tentative ideas off of each other, thoroughly caught up in their brainstorming.

As the silence lengthened, Eunhyuk had been turning his own idea around in his head. Since they had no answer forthcoming, he could only surmise that getting inside by normal means would be tricky or risky… Frankly, he was quite tired of putting them at risk, even if they didn't complain. Carefully, he reached out to a spot away from the camp and slowly formed in his mind the image of what he wanted. If Enrhyll could make those things, then so could he.

At first, nothing really changed since he himself didn't know what to ask his element to do, but as he kept trying, a creature began to take shape in front of him. Into the thought, he poured what he wanted it to be like and imagined a creature that was not unlike Lute in temperament, but a bit more inquisitive instead. Threads of wind weaved together animatedly as a long, sinuous body gradually came into existence, crowned by a dragon-like head that turned to peer at him curiously. It was semi-transparent in appearance, visually a pale green color with deep green eyes. Slowly, he smiled and reached out a hand to the construct, fingers trembling with excitement.

Distracted by their own thoughts, the minstrels failed to notice Eunhyuk's accomplishment until Henry glanced over to ask him a question and then noticed the construct floating nearby. "Aya!" he yelled, scrambling back quickly as he searched for some sort of weapon. Zhou Mi's reaction was similar as he hopped up and immediately put himself in front of Henry, reaching blindly for some sort of defense.

Their reactions startled the construct and it reared up and floated backwards, seeking to escape until Eunhyuk called out, "Stop!" It was a command that halted both the construct and the minstrels as all three froze in place. With one hand raised to his creation holding it in place, Eunhyuk looked back at the minstrels and soothed, "It's okay." His smile was warm and happy as he met Zhou Mi's gaze and then Henry's who peeked around the taller of the two curiously. There was nothing to be afraid of here.

"By the Muses…" Zhou Mi breathed wondrously before he reached down to help Henry to his feet, never taking his eyes off the creature.

The younger man allowed himself to be pulled up and then blinked rapidly at the construct that slowly returned to their group. "Did you…? How?" he asked, dumbfounded they hadn't noticed it. Not surprising since it hadn't exactly made any sound that they could hear, nor did the wind blow particularly hard as it had been created.

Eunhyuk laughed as his hand finally came into contact with the creature's elongated face as it floated back down to his level, tentative but caring. "I made him," he answered at length, amazed by his success. "I figured if Enrhyll could do it, so could I." The construct just floated where it was, seemingly needing no wings or assistance to remain airborne.

"Can we touch it?" Zhou Mi asked, intensely curious. He had seen the other constructs close enough but this one looked decidedly different. Oh, the shape was the same and it even had the opaque quality the others had, but Eunhyuk's looked much gentler and appeared to be more skittish in nature with a softer coloration. Briefly, he wondered if it was because of the person that had made it that it seemed so different from the others.

"Sure," Eunhyuk encouraged, keeping one hand on the creature's neck as he waved them forward slowly. The construct remained motionless as it watched them approach, relaxed under Eunhyuk's hand.

Carefully, the minstrels stepped closer to it, looking up as the head rose above them while the body hovered closer to the ground. Slowly, so as not to frighten it again, they reached out hesitant hands and paused when it lowered its head to peer at their limbs closely. After a moment, it nudged their fingers with its nose and, seemingly satisfied, reared back up and looked down at them, its head cocked to the side. It was silent, which was odd in and of itself, but they could tell it was definitely interested in them as they were in it.

Henry grinned and managed to stifle most of his laugh. "It reminds me of a dog." At Zhou Mi's raised brow in his direction, he shrugged and added, "Not in appearance but you can't tell me it isn't acting like one." With the tacit permission, the younger of the two was the first to reach forward and place his hand on the surprisingly solid surface of its body. The creature remained still as it felt the hand slide along part of its body.

Not to be left behind, Zhou Mi quickly followed suit and grinned in pleasure at the sleek feel under his palm. It felt smooth like a snake would but it was much cooler, with a harder body that had no give. "It's amazing," he murmured appreciatively, marveling at the design. It was very similar in appearance to the others, but if he wasn't mistaken, the body was longer, and not quite as thick as the ones that Enrhyll had sent.

"I can use him to get inside," Eunhyuk explained after a moment in which he grinned at their awestruck expressions. With the morning growing late already, he was more than ready to do something and since they hadn't come up with anything yet, this would do quite well. Since the others had no problem with carrying him, this one should be fine and since he could control it, presumably, it would be a much smoother trip than last time.

"That's brilliant!" Henry laughed excitedly, causing the construct to flinch but it settled down quickly, seemingly disgruntled by his lively nature. It drifted closer to Eunhyuk as if seeking comfort and constricted its body, making itself appear smaller.

Zhou Mi turned over the idea for a few seconds more and his mouth pulled up into a smile in turn. "That is a good idea. We'll need to find something to cover that hair of yours when you get inside but that is good," he agreed. "It's not as if the guard will know the difference either way," he laughed. That freed them up to get into the capitol as normal, to their relief.

They were far enough away that the guards that would be at the gate would not be able to see them and the travelers along the way likely wouldn't know what to think or say for that matter. The ones that were passing them by were eyeing them with curiosity and alarm or stolidly ignoring them for fear of drawing their attention. "Here," Henry offered as he returned from the cart with a dark green cloth in hand. "It seems we do not have a hat for you but I figure you can wrap it around your head," he winked, shaking the fabric out.

"That'll do just fine," Eunhyuk assured him, stepping forward to take the proffered cloth. It took him a moment to situate it the way he needed but when he was done, with a little help from the minstrels, he had a wrap that covered most of his hair. The fact that he was blonde was fairly hard to see, though it did peek through in some places, but was otherwise the effect they were going for. The elementalist took another nervous look at the minstrels and pat himself down, checking to make sure the sais were in place and that he was as ready as he was going to be.

"You ready for this?" Henry asked from where he leaned against the cart near Lute, rubbing her forehead soothingly as she continued to eye the construct and shift in place. It wasn't surprising that she was nervous about the creature since the others that had appeared had not been the nicest of things. He glanced at the rising sun, noting it was drawing close to midmorning and by the time they were ready and could get through the gate, it would probably be closer to noon.

Zhou Mi looked the elementalist over once more too, checking to make sure the cover was secure one additional time. "Good luck, my friend," he finally smiled and bowed deeply before standing back up and stepping away towards the cart.

"I'll probably need it," Eunhyuk murmured to himself as he waved and moved over to the construct that was patiently floating in place, for all intents and purposes, waiting for him. "Alright you," he started uncertainly with no idea what to call him. Tentatively, he placed a hand lightly against the construct's neck. "Let's go," he sighed, mentally instructing the creature on what he wanted.

Easily, the construct coiled its length around his body, snug but not uncomfortable, and then lifted him from the ground. Eunhyuk felt a trill of excitement run through him at being in the air again. This time, he was more in control and it was fairly enjoyable, unlike the desperate flight he had halted just the other day. With an excited grin, he waved down at the minstrels who waved back before turning their attention to the camp and getting everything packed and ready. Undoubtedly, he would be inside long before them and would simply have to lay low until they arrived.

"Okay," he murmured to himself again, setting his gaze on the capitol city as the construct continued to float upwards slowly with no other directions given. "Go," he pointed firmly, urging the construct to follow suit. Just like that, the pair was flying forward, the construct undulating gently in the air and bringing Eunhyuk that much closer to the others. "I'm coming, Summer…Hangeng," he breathed. Though he did not mention the others, they were in his thoughts and he could only hope that if they were here, then they were well too.

The outer walls of the capitol loomed up hugely, hiding the interior initially save for the palace that rose above the city, obvious and amazing. The wind elementalist cringed as he saw guards standing on the parapets, weapons in their hands, but none of them rose up towards the pair passing above. In fact, they lost interest soon after they had gone by, no longer any of their concern. The buildings below were huge, much taller than he was used to, and there were so many of them… Even more than what they'd seen in Fairwinter, this city was crowded, loud and filled with all manner of things that he could see from up here.

"Slow down," he instructed the construct, which immediately reduced its speed so that they floated languidly above the city. Eunhyuk tried to find a spot that would be easy to disappear in. Most of the places had a lot of people, some of whom were already peering up at them in confusion, but he was also trying to avoid the guards that wandered the area here and there. There weren't very many of them but they were spread out broadly. At last, he found an area that he figured would be suitable; near the shabbier part of town where he would probably fit right in…he hoped. Impatiently, he patted the construct's neck and pointed, "Down there!"

Right on cue, the construct angled down and dropped them out of the sky, startling the elementalist so that he held tight in reaction, stifling his cry. The construct pulled up just short of the ground, causing quite a stir among those able to see them, before uncoiling from around Eunhyuk and depositing him on the ground. At that point, it floated above him uncertainly while people around them panicked at seeing a construct in their midst. Traditionally, they were harbingers of bad news considering they were sent by Enrhyll. Eunhyuk started to panic at the attention the two were drawing and quickly turned at the construct, "Shoo! Go away! Hurry!" he waved at it exaggeratedly, genuinely torn. He was comforted by its presence but he needed it to go away.

Conflicted, it circled around the area swiftly three times and then darted down the nearest path and onto the main road, causing havoc where it passed. Screams followed its departure and took the attention off of Eunhyuk…mostly. Some eyes were still following him but mostly he was left alone. Quite lost and confused, the elementalist hurried down a path in the opposite direction as the construct and promptly lost himself in the crowd of people moving up and down in either direction.


	40. Chapter 40

Bleakly, Kharin watched the horizon lighten in the distance as she finished her watch. She was still tired from the other day, but at least the headache was completely gone and she almost felt like her old self again. Her gaze was riveted on the capitol slowly being illuminated by the rays of the sun as it peeked over the earth. After a moment, she shook herself and reached back to shake Eun Mi awake distractedly. "Hey! Eun Mi," she called softly, jostling the sleeper's shoulder until she started to come around.

"Mmmm…" Eun Mi groaned as she cracked her eyes open in the dim light. "Morning already?" she muttered, positive she had to be joking. She had just closed her eyes…

"Yep. Come on," Kharin stifled a yawn and stood up, brushing her pants off hurriedly before stretching slowly.

The healer let out one more reluctant groan and sat up, blurry eyed and stoic. Stiffly, she got up and went over to check on Glory who was dozing on her feet nearby, ears flicking back and forth with her head down. Kharin stepped over to rifle through their packs for the food they had left for this morning and dragged it out. The meat was definitely getting tough and the rest of their travel rations were typically hearty anyway.

"Here," she nudged Eun Mi's shoulder with a handful of the cooked meat, chewing part of her share.

"Thanks," the healer nodded gratefully and turned to take her portion. With one hand, she brushed out Glory quickly and tried to wake up enough so that they would be ready to go soon. Both were eager to be on their way and while she had a vague idea of what Kharin intended to do to get in, she wasn't sure by any means. She just wanted to make sure they had as much time as possible to try.

After washing the food down with the rest of their water, Kharin nodded at Eun Mi. "I'm ready when you are."

The healer sighed at her condition. Kharin had bags under her eyes and she still seemed a bit on the pale side, but she could tell she was absolutely determined to get moving. "Alright," she sighed, grabbing Glory's reins and pulling her closer to the packs. They settled the bags back on the mule and then Eun Mi hauled herself up, reaching down to give Kharin a hand. The shadow elementalist slowly complied, tiredly hauling herself up with the other woman's help.

Eun Mi nudged Glory with her heels and got them started on their path again. They fell right in with the few persons on the road in the early part of the morning. Glory wasn't able to do much more than a reluctant trot but it was enough to get them close to the capitol by midmorning. Before they got within eyesight of the guards, Kharin spoke up from the back, "Hold up. Can we stop here?" she asked quietly, one hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, right," Eun Mi sighed, pulling Glory off to the side of the road and out of the way of any traffic. "What are you going to do?" she asked as she felt the elementalist slide off the back.

"I'm going to walk right in," Kharin winked with a forced grin. "Good luck getting in. And be careful," she wished the healer as she tried to hide as well as she could behind the mule, using the creature's larger shadow as her focal point.

"You be careful too, Kharin," Eun Mi wished, looking at her curiously.

The shadow elementalist nodded once before orienting herself towards the city and then stepped into the mule's shadow, taking a breath before dropping into the shadow realm. For a little while, she kept pace with the healer and the mule as they walked at a fast pace, forcing Kharin to jog in that strange realm, but when they neared, the pair in the normal realm was forced to slow down at the gate. A fairly long line was headed into the city and each person and group was being checked over extensively by the guards there.

Kharin surged ahead, eyeing the flickering pools of light that denoted people, and watched as they passed under her. She was never going to get used to that... Quickly, she walked through the gates, pillars and barriers of light rising up to indicate the walls around the city. While the shadow realm was easier to cross, the normal barriers were still a problem she had to navigate. They were easy enough to step around when she didn't have to worry about avoiding the people.

Still, the shadow realm was a very lonely place. She wanted to hurry up and find a place she could step back through as soon as possible. The moving pools of light were distracting and didn't help her find a corner to reappear in. Kharin searched for a while, losing track of time as she walked. The city, what she could see of it in the pale imitation of her world, was huge and it seemed there were people everywhere. Nor could she just step into a building to reappear either since when she tried, she had no way to manipulate the doorway. It was like pushing against a wall and her hand slid right around or off the handle.

"Fine…" Kharin grumbled after attempting another door to no avail. She trailed her fingers along the wall as she headed around to the 'back' and took a deep breath. There were still people nearby, as far as she could tell by the light shifting within the light, and they were about to be very surprised.

Abruptly, Kharin fell through the lights in the ground and found herself standing in a shadowed alleyway, blinking dazedly at four rather shady looking individuals who were looking right back at her in open mouthed astonishment. Quickly, she focused her attention and glared at them. "What?" she demanded gruffly, doing her best to appear menacing. It did not take them but a moment to gape at her and the spot she had suddenly appeared from before they started to babble and quickly vacated the area.

The shadow elementalist was relieved by their quick exit and took a moment to lean against the wall. She took a deep breath and then glanced around. If they were going to find anyone, it was not safe to stay here and she had no idea where she was. She had apparently found a secluded part between the wall and another building. Cautiously, she poked her head around the corner and saw people passing by on a small street ahead of her. That seemed as good a direction as any. "Let's see where I am," she sighed as she straightened her shoulders and strode out into the city as if she belonged there.

When she stepped out into the moving sea of people, she was immediately engulfed by the masses that tried to carry her with them in either direction. Some looked askance at her and most ignored her completely, another nameless person in the throng of people. Quite simply, the majority didn't pay her any attention but she was in their way and that wasn't going to stop them from getting to where they were headed. Firmly, she planted herself in their midst and then edged to the outermost part of the line of traffic, still within the moving line of them but not enough to be considered a nuisance. When given a chance to breathe, her initial impression was simply bafflement.

The wall she thought had been the outer ring around the city was actually another wall entirely and when she looked over it, the palace rose up, grand yet menacing. She felt her stomach tense immediately and her heart raced at the mere proximity of it and the one she knew was here as well. Never mind that most of the others were here already… Desperately, she wanted to see them…to be able to free them, but she acknowledged that in this moment, she could not. Everything was too big, too new and too confusing.

With it being so close, she felt immediately she wasn't ready for that confrontation and Kharin found herself backpedaling slowly until she bumped into the wall of the building behind her. She needed to get prepared and being lost in the city was not helping that. A look overhead showed that the sun was making its way to noon, but wasn't quite there yet. Eun Mi should have made it into the city by now, or so she figured. Would she still be near the front though? It was all Kharin had to go on so she picked the direction that looked like it would take her to the entrance and allowed herself to be guided by the stream.

She was hyper vigilant for any patrols in the area and made sure to detach herself from the crowd whenever she spotted the intermittent guard making his way through the city. So too did she keep an eye out for Eun Mi. She didn't think the young woman would leave Glory behind at the moment so she should be relatively easy to spot. Searching was frustrating when it didn't show her anything helpful and she worried constantly about being spotted or recognized or any number of things that rampantly tumbled through her mind.

Her stomach was starting to grumble plaintively by the time she was finally able to see the front of the city; two massive gates pushed open to allow entrance, but the line in was still long and the guards looked annoyed. Not that she could blame them since they had to check every person that arrived. A quick scan of the area didn't show her anyone familiar so she settled herself against the wall of one of the nearby buildings and took on a bored expression, hoping that would keep people from bothering her. She pretended intense interest in the vendor to her left, closer to the gate, when she spotted a guard or two nearby.

It was when she was making her way to another, less conspicuous resting place when she caught just a flash of blonde in the sea of people. Instantly, her attention was focused on that and she searched the crowd, desperate to find it again. Everything she knew up to this point told her it was impossible, but she couldn't let go of the merest chance that it might be him… "Eunhyuk," she whispered, as if in voicing his name she could make him appear.

The plea went unanswered but she couldn't shake the feeling. There were just so many damn people… Frustration boiled to the surface and she grumbled under her breath. Determinedly, she planted herself against the nearest wall and eyed the crowd intensely. Another flash off to her right this time, closer to the entrance, caught her eye and she jerked in that direction, refusing to lose it again. Eventually, her eyes began to note a few things that weren't quite typical. While most persons wore hats or nothing at all, a handful had mere wraps or bandanas on their heads. None of the persons lacking a hat had hair as blonde as Eunhyuk and she marked them off immediately.

Those wearing hats were either too covered or only showed the darker shades of hair peeking through. She focused her attention solely on those with simple coverings, hoping she was right. "Where are you?" she pleaded quietly, scanning incessantly. At last, her search was rewarded and she saw another flash of blonde hiding under a dark green covering. He was off to the side, very much like she was, his back to a wall and his face turned towards the entrance. "Eunhyuk," she breathed, hardly daring to voice his name out loud, afraid he might simply disappear now that she may have found him.

She watched him raise a hand up to scratch under the wrap, revealing more blonde hair before he glanced around quickly, alert as she had been. Kharin felt her heart leap as she saw his face and she could stand still no longer. It no longer mattered that they were in the middle of Enrhyll's city or that she was probably drawing too much attention to herself, but she shoved through the people in her way, sliding around the ones that were too numerous to move efficiently. "Eunhyuk!" she called, daring to raise her voice, terrified he would move away.

Eunhyuk stood against the wall nervously. Somehow, he had managed to make his way back to the front and he could only hope that he had not missed Zhou Mi and Henry. He hadn't seen them go by but he hadn't been there for very long yet. Occasionally he would glance up to see the construct floating far above him in the air. It had not left him yet and he didn't know what to do with it… The wrap on his head itched a lot and he reached up to scratch it again, tugging the fabric down quickly to hide his hair. He hoped someone would show up soon. The elementalist took a slow breath to calm his nerves and then turned his head quizzically to the side as he thought he heard his name.

Confused, he stepped away from the wall and peered around, wondering if perhaps it was Henry or Zhou Mi. There seemed to be a small commotion as someone was pushing their way through the throng of people. His eyes widened as he saw her then, the striking shadow elementalist with her hair pulled back into a frazzled and falling apart braid. "Kharin…?" he asked quietly. He would have thought he was seeing things but for the fact she was shoving everyone in her path away. "Kharin!" he cried, suddenly away from the wall and sprinting towards her, leaping through and around the people in his path.

The last few persons between them disappeared quickly, skirted around or shoved aside, and they crashed into each other, arms hugging tightly as they clung fiercely to the impossible reality they had found. "Kharin," Eunhyuk breathed shakily, his eyes streaming tears as he buried his hand in her hair and held her to him desperately with his other arm.

Kharin had thrown both of her arms over his shoulders and around his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder and neck, breathing in the smell of him and simply holding onto him as if she were drowning. "I found you," she whispered, her voice shaking as the rest of her trembled with the intensity of her emotions. At eternity could have passed in that moment and it would not have been long enough.

She was reluctant to loosen her hold but when she did, she felt Eunhyuk's hands shift to clasp her face gently between his palms as he met her teary eyes evenly, his gummy smile elated. Before anything else could happen and before any more time could pass without it being said, Eunhyuk spoke softly, "I love you, Kharin and I'm never going to leave you alone again." She smiled at the words, feeling her heart swell and before she could get a response out, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. It was warm and long, filling her with such intense joy, it almost hurt.

Eunhyuk pulled back slowly, feeling lightheaded and giddy. When they had space enough for her to speak, he was elated to hear, "I love you too," rush from her mouth before speaking became impossible again as she pulled him close, kissing him fiercely in return.

Nearby, they became aware of voices speaking and while the words seemed unintelligible at first, they formed into, "What are you so surprised for? He just proposed," a grinning Zhou Mi explained to the nearest group that was eyeing the couple uncertainly. Their stop had definitely drawn some attention and he was doing the best he could to diffuse it. "Congratulations!" he cried instead, stepping up to the pair. "Allow me to buy you a drink, my good sir, on this happy occasion!" he cajoled, raising another cheer heartily, to which the crowd around began to respond.

"Here, here!" they cried and as the blushing couple allowed themselves to be guided, hands firmly clasped together, by Zhou Mi, who looked over his shoulder to find Henry slowly leading Lute and the cart after them. More cheers began behind them as the party continued up the street. A small group followed along, anticipating entertainment and drinks while the rest dispersed and the guards were assured enough not to investigate further. He kept the focus firmly on him while he sang bawdy songs and guided the group to a reputable tavern, furiously thinking of ways to get them out of this sober.

The Minstrel's Dance tavern was one of his favorite choices for various reasons, the name notwithstanding. It was located pretty much in the middle of the city with a variety of patrons from all walks of life, with a sizable stable in the back, and as the name implied, there was always at least one minstrel in attendance. Zhou Mi was hoping to use that to his advantage today as he guided Eunhyuk and Kharin to his favorite haunt and, with the assistance of several persons ahead of him, burst into the tavern with admiral aplomb. Having heard the commotion from outside, the patrons within were ready and greeted him and his two charges enthusiastically.

Even if he had not been trying to make it as obvious as possible, the crowd likely would have picked up on the furiously blushing expressions of the elementalists anyway, especially since they were still holding hands tightly. If nothing else, the attention kept Kharin from striking him down immediately for the ruse he was running, though it had pretty much removed all suspicion. People wanted a reason to be happy in these times; they had plenty enough to be suspicious of already.

As the minstrel swept his gaze over the room, he noticed a trio of minstrels performing on the stage and grinned. This was going to be better than he expected. Easily, he swept the pair in front of him to a table that was quickly vacated for him and his guests and set them down, leaning in to whisper with a grin, "Just sit tight." With a reassuring squeeze on both their shoulders, he made his way through the throng to the bar where the owner was apparently watching, a very large smile on his face. "Dong-Min, my friend," the minstrel started smoothly with a charming smile. Easily, he slid a handful of coins to the owner unobtrusively and winked, "Two rooms for the evening if you would, good sir."

Dong-Min smiled then and his eyes turned calculating as he looked about the room, already fairly full, and it was early yet. Nonchalantly, he turned back to peer through the door leading to the back and yelled out, "Jin Sang! Better bring up the reserves! It is going to be a good day!" By the time he turned back around, Zhou Mi was already gone and returned to the table of the, what appeared to be betrothed, if not already wed couple. Dong-Min's grin widened as the minstrel prompted a round of drinks to begin already and a flock of men pressed up to the bar to comply quickly.

Henry made his way back in after stabling Lute, their instruments in tow. Quickly, he appraised the situation and made his way over to Eunhyuk and Kharin, amused by the grins plastered on their faces as they tried to hide their mortification. The only way to take the attention off of them now was to make an even bigger spectacle and that was something the minstrels in general were good at. Immediately, he found Zhou Mi and handed off his harp to him so that they could join the trio on stage.

Eunhyuk and Kharin had absolutely no idea what to do so they sat and accepted the congratulations and the pats as best they could. They gripped each other's hands so hard it hurt but they found it helped them to focus, though when a pair of mugs were set in front of them by a random person, they were baffled. A quick sniff showed it to be ale and both forced a grin in thanks and pretended to take a sip. This wasn't good…

As the minstrels started to resume playing in full form, Zhou Mi having negotiated briefly with the flute player at the front, the tavern came to life again with patrons dancing over the floor. Another song was played and more drinks were passed around and while they had not finished their own, another set of mugs was set before the 'betrothed.'

Seeing their dilemma, Henry begged a small break and shuffled over to find one of the waitresses who was carting around various beverages as needed. With one of his mischievous smiles, he slipped her a few coins and winked knowingly, "Nothing but water for the couple, alright?"

His request prompted a flirtatious blush from the young woman who smiled despite herself and then winked back in understanding, already heading over to them. Promptly, she whisked away the mugs of ale and replaced them with duplicate mugs. She grinned and couldn't help but add, "I know how it is. Ye want ta have a _good _time tonight." To her delight, after a brief pause, the flush in their faces intensified as they looked away, incredibly embarrassed.

Neither tried to correct her as they reached for their water instead, downing the mug in seconds as they struggled to control their embarrassment. "I'm going to kill them," Kharin murmured through her forced grin at Eunhyuk as they watched the minstrels perform and pretended to have a good time.

Eunhyuk pat her hand with his free one and spoke through his smile, "Let's get out of this first. One thing at a time," he forced a laugh and gratefully accepted another mug from the suggestive waitress.

Despite their reserves, they were cajoled into a couples dance by the crowd and then spent far more time on their feet and lost in the sea of people than they would have preferred. The excitement of the crowd ebbed and flowed as people filed in and out with the mood or the songs that the minstrels were playing. Time slipped away from all of them as they were plied with further drinks from the waitress who, per Henry's request, continued to ply them with water, though the flush they earned from dancing would have made one think otherwise.

Finally, already disoriented and lost in the crowd, Zhou Mi made his way over to the elementalists and still grinning as if nothing was wrong, leaned in to speak. "Kharin, I'm going to need you to faint or swoon now." He moved along with them in the crowd as they danced mainly by rote to the song that was being played.

Kharin laughed at the absurd idea and then blurted, "Why?"

"Just trust me," Zhou Mi urged with that same expression.

Disgruntled by the request, since Kharin never did either of those, her eyes smoldered but as he had yet to lead them wrong, she relented. "I hate you for this," she muttered before promptly leaning into Eunhyuk as if she were about to fall out. She even managed a very convincing hand to her forehead to emphasize that she was quite faint.

"Whoa!" Eunhyuk exclaimed, forcing a laugh as if it were unexpected.

Zhou Mi helped to catch her with a laugh, "Uh oh, lad! Looks like she's had a bit too much fun," he winked, helping to support her and usher the pair towards the stairs. Still playing the part, he leaned in to whisper to Eunhyuk, "We have two rooms upstairs. Wait for us there." Easily, he pressed a key into the elementalist's hand and then turned back to the crowd, his usual jovial self again. "She's alright! Just a little too much fun," he explained, shepherding the curious crowd back towards the main part of the room.

Hurriedly, Eunhyuk helped to lead Kharin up the stairs until they were out of obvious sight when she could stand back up and he looked at the key in his hand. It had a number 8 attached to it and they made their way to the door quickly. With shaking hands, he unlocked the door and they rushed inside, glad to escape the noise and the crowds, though they could still hear the revelry going on through the floor.

In the quiet of the room, the pair was finally able to take stock of themselves and the tension just seemed to drain right out of them. No longer the main focus, they threw their arms about each other and held tight, letting the other person be their strength for just a little while. No words were necessary as the time they had spent apart seemed to fade away like a bad dream. Against all hope, they had found each other again. They didn't have to face their task alone.

They weren't sure how much time had passed before they broke apart long enough to lock the door for their peace of mind. The sounds of merrymaking were still pervading the tavern but it sounded as if it was tapering off finally. Now that they had a moment to speak, it felt as if they had no idea what to say or how to begin. Fortunately, they didn't have to just yet. A knock on their door startled them and Eunhyuk moved to open it after he'd made sure Kharin was seated and resting.

Zhou Mi and Henry were standing in the doorway, and off to the side, seemingly very confused was a baffled Eun Mi, to Kharin's surprise. "Well that was quite a celebration," Zhou Mi laughed as he gestured for Henry and the young woman to precede him.

"Dong-Min will certainly owe you for this one," Henry laughed as he set down the instrument on the floor with a grin back at his companion.

"Eun Mi?" Kharin asked as she stood up to appraise the young woman who still seemed overwhelmed by everything.

"Kharin…" she started to say as the confusion wore off. "You left me," she stated angrily, stepping right up to her and struggling with the right words to say.

"No I didn't," Kharin defended, her brow creasing in annoyance. She had actually been swept away as opposed to voluntarily leaving the young woman but she doubted that would make much of a difference just now.

"Easy, ladies," Zhou Mi interjected smoothly, pressing them apart carefully.

"So you do know each other," Henry laughed with a nod. "She said she was a friend of yours, but I wasn't sure."

"How did you know Henry and Zhou Mi?" Eunhyuk asked, baffled by her presence and her connection to Kharin.

"Siwon told me about them," she answered automatically, finally letting herself calm down and actually look around with more of a level head. "I sort of followed the commotion out of curiosity and while I didn't see you," she gestured at Kharin, "they were impossible to miss." She shrugged and the minstrels laughed.

"Well done then, Eun Mi," Zhou Mi smiled with a bow in her direction.

Kharin leaned over to quietly explain how she knew Eun Mi to Eunhyuk, whose mystified expression disappeared quickly. At length, the rest of the group settled down, taking seats on the beds and pulling up the one chair in the room. Zhou Mi explained that he had seen guards in the crowd which had necessitated their departure. He assured them they weren't looking for anyone and had simply been enjoying the merriment but he didn't wish to risk them being found regardless. Given the explanation, Kharin was considerably more understanding about being asked to faint and blushed lightly at Zhou Mi when he complimented her on her acting.

"We have the rooms for the night, so don't worry about a place to stay," Zhou Mi urged assuredly. "I'll have Dong-Min bring up some food later too."

The elementalists looked grateful while Eun Mi remained quiet and thoughtful. Henry grinned in amusement as he went over the day in his head and finally laughed, "That was a bit of a close call there, but at least you got in."

Eunhyuk and Kharin chuckled lightly at first, which devolved into slightly hysterical laughter as they gripped each other's hands again and wiped at teary eyes. While quite true, the statement had seemed slightly absurd considering what they had just endured to get in without notice… "Aye. That we did," Eunhyuk agreed with a more natural smile.

Kharin took a deep breath to get control of herself and looked up to meet the eyes of the others in the room. "Yes. And now that we're here, do we have a plan?" Silence met her query. "That's what I thought," she muttered dejectedly.

"Nothing yet, but we have time," Zhou Mi cautioned. "I suggest we sleep on it and we can certainly make plans in the morning. From the looks of it, we could all use a good night's rest," he laughed lightly. The elementalists weren't the only ones who appeared tired and he was more than ready to admit that performing earlier this afternoon had simply worn him out.

"Fair enough," Eunhyuk nodded with a comforting pat on Kharin's hand. She tightened her grip automatically. As much as they wanted to help the others, they were far more worn out than they wanted to admit.

The five took a bit of time to pass around further introductions and then tentatively start brainstorming before Zhou Mi went downstairs to order them food for the evening. They had a lot to figure out and they only hoped that they would be able to come up with something feasible by tomorrow morning.


	41. Chapter 41

Summer glared at the single guard that was stationed in her room as she worked at the bindings that held her to the chair she was currently seated in. In the hours that had passed since this morning, he had finally learned to ignore her and was subsequently paying her no mind despite the ferocity of her expression. After a few unsuccessful attempts to prompt him to speak, she had remained quiet and had taken to piecing together what she knew.

Her situation thus far had gone from bad to bad again really. The underground ride had been horrendous, to be sure, but she wasn't positive this was any better. She was just as trapped now as she had been then, with even less of an ability to alter her situation. The only good thing she had seen was that Kyuhyun was alive and she had been able to feel his embrace. For just a few moments, she had gained a measure of happiness at seeing him alive and then that too had been torn away as they were beaten down and separated.

She had been knocked unconscious, she knew and when she had come around much earlier this morning, she had found herself bound, without her sais, and locked in this damn room with a single guard. Summer was fairly certain that there was another outside the door but that was only because she had come to when they were switching up for the night. At least he had given her water…if nothing else. Normally, she would have spit it on him but having been without for quite some time, it was too good to waste.

So now she found herself waiting. She wasn't good at waiting, especially when there was no purpose. Why have her by herself in a room at all? Enrhyll had certainly done his best to hurt her yesterday so what was the point of keeping her alive? Not that she minded, by any means, but it was a maddening thought because she didn't know what he wanted. And waiting for someone to arrive to inform her was just frustrating.

The neutralizer had every inch of the room etched in her mind by the time anything changed. She wasn't sure how much time had gone by since the guard hadn't switched and she had no window to see outside, but her seat ached from sitting for so long. The guard near her snapped to attention when the door opened to allow Enrhyll to step inside, shadowed by Hana, the other neutralizer. Summer felt her stomach knot as she came face to face with the man that they had all come to destroy.

"Hello Summer," Enrhyll greeted with a charismatic smile as he approached her, Hana none too far behind, though her expression was considerably less than welcoming.

Summer glared at him in defiance and sat back in her chair, shoulders pulled back to match his haughty posture. "Where's Kyuhyun?" she demanded immediately, noticing with some confusion a twitch in his eye at her question.

"I see that you are well," he went on as if he hadn't heard her, one brow raised archly. Her gaze remained scathing but she held her tongue for the moment. Enrhyll interlaced his fingers in front of himself while he appraised the recalcitrant neutralizer. When she did not respond, he waved his hand dismissively at the two still present, "You may go."

"Yes, my lord," the guard bowed immediately and removed himself without question, glad to be out of the room.

When Enrhyll noticed Hana had remained, he turned to focus on her and reiterated, "You may go," speaking as if to a small child since she obviously had not heard him the first time.

"But, my lord," Hana started to say in denial before she stopped herself. "Of course." Slowly, she bowed and hesitantly stepped out of the room, closing the door reluctantly behind her. Why was she being sent out too…? She was always present when he spoke to the elementalists.

Summer watched the other two leave with some nervousness. She had no love for Hana at all, considering what she remembered of her from yesterday, but she liked being alone with Enrhyll even less. Her gaze became slightly less defiant when faced with the tyrant by herself. "What is it you want?" she finally asked when he merely continued to watch her.

For a moment, Enrhyll actively mulled over the question and then took a breath. "I want what is mine by right." At her confusion he took a step closer and elaborated, "I am your god and as such, I am superior to you and those with you, but yet, they continue to deny me what is mine."

"You are not a god," Summer shook her head slowly as she met his dark eyes, which suddenly clouded over at her statement.

"Then how do you explain my power?" he snarled at her, calling all the elements to life around him. Abruptly, he was surrounded by six swirling orbs of power, each one representing a different element. "Only a god would have the power to control all the elements," he told her assuredly.

"And yet I can neutralize your power," she told him evenly, focusing intently on the elements swirling around him. He had not put much effort into crafting the orbs so they were not very powerful or difficult to quell. They flickered around him briefly and then faded out of existence as he glared at her for her interference.

"Stop it!" he growled before he backhanded her harshly across the face, the force almost enough to knock her and the chair over. "You are not allowed to do that," he reprimanded her harshly and paced agitatedly in front of her while she recovered.

Summer's face stung where his fist had connected and she tasted blood on her tongue where her teeth had cut the inside of her cheek. "You can't stop me," she muttered under her breath, just keeping herself from saying it out loud.

"What did you say?" he demanded quietly, his eyes narrowed. "I can do whatever I want," he told her firmly. "It is my right as your deity and you will recognize this or you will die." A slow smile spread across his face as he saw fear flicker in her eyes. Because she was jaded with her fixation of Kyuhyun, he accepted that she would not respect him immediately, but she would do as he said, or she would die.

The neutralizer swallowed hard and looked up to meet his gaze again. The man was absolutely mad… He had to be, but that also made him exponentially more dangerous than they had thought. Reluctantly, she forced the words out of her mouth, "And what is it that you would have me do?"

Again, his eye twitched as she left out his title but he collected himself and looked down his nose at her superciliously. "You will do what I say, when I say, and you will not defy me, my dear," he grinned assuredly and leaned close to her, a gleam in his eye. "There are some things worse than death," he promised quietly. "For you and your friends. Think on it," he grinned knowingly, feeling a small thrill at the emotions playing across her face.

When Enrhyll left her alone in the room, Summer was able to take a shuddering breath as her body trembled. The worst part about his threat was that she knew he was right. Shaken, it took her a moment to figure out what she was going to do. For her sake, and theirs, she couldn't do anything openly, but neither could she just blindly obey him… Worriedly, she swallowed her nerves and steeled herself. "Oh gods above... What am I going to do?" she quietly asked herself as she watched her guard return to take his place beside her, quiet, attentive and oblivious to her turmoil.

* * *

><p>As Enrhyll stepped back out into the hall, he regarded Hana imperiously and then let his eyes slide right over her. For now, having two neutralizers would be better than doing away with either of them. At least Hana did as she was told, and while that was expected, she had stopped inducing those wonderful highs he gained from her adoration and fear. Even his stroll through the city today had not been as pleasing as hoped. Oh certainly they worshiped and adored him; some feared and hated him and all made him feel alive, but even their emotions had started to have lesser effects.<p>

It was wholly problematic… So much so that he toyed with the idea of actually using the threat he had just given to Summer. Not on her, of course. Not yet by any means, but there were four others in his company now who had yet to show him the respect he deserved. Briefly, he went through his guests in his mind, rejecting the water elementalist immediately; that one was still coming to his senses and had shown overt anger towards Kwan only, as of yet. The earth elementalist was a possibility as he was a bothersome man really, but his behavior could be explained as well, by stress of the journey here. Perhaps he did not like heights? In time, he might well come around as he hoped the former would as well.

That left Kyuhyun and Eleanara… Enrhyll frowned at the thought as that was a difficult choice actually. Despite his attempts to enlighten them, both seemed inclined to think that he was the villain here. He had erased the lies about his person but still they rebelled against him, consistently. They had even gone so far as to raise their hands against his judgment with that stupid human and Summer. Given their transgressions against him, Enrhyll could not choose just one. Then again, who said he had to? A pleased and unpleasant smile pulled the corner of his lips up and he tapped his finger to his mouth in thought.

Yes. That would do quite nicely. They would learn to fear him since it was obvious they would not love him as they were. Once they were broken, perhaps then they would be able to see the correct path. He laughed to himself lightly at the thought as images of them ran through his mind, pleading for mercy as they called upon his magnanimous nature and professing their undying love for him. Indeed. That would work quite nicely and perhaps with them as an example, the others would come around. Especially the two he still lacked.

Briefly, his amusement faded as he paused to consider them. His constructs had apparently not found anything yet, nor had they returned. It was impossible that they had escaped detection and capture. His constructs simply would not fail in such a way as his guards had. No matter. He would deal with their absence later. For now, he had other thoughts to preoccupy his mind. As it was after noon, he was a bit hungry so perhaps he would eat first.

Enryhll rather liked that thought since it would make his visit with Kyuhyun and Eleanara that much more enjoyable. "Hana," he stated softly as he turned to address the neutralizer who stepped forward immediately, waiting on every word he said.

"Yes my lord," she bowed, eagerly awaiting his next words.

"See to it that our guests are fed and watered," he commanded in an offhand manner. "I will be taking lunch in the throne room. Return to me when you are finished," he continued in a bored manner.

"Of course, my lord," Hana bowed further and then stood up to meet his gaze. "It will be my pleasure," she assured him easily. Enrhyll left her then and Hana looked up and down the hall and then at the guard nearby. He had given her no instructions on what she was to feed them and while there was little she could do against them openly, it should be fine to give them a drudge's rations shouldn't it? Hana very much looked forward to giving them the bits of hard bread and burnt scraps reserved for the lowliest members of the palace. It was fitting fare for the disrespectful elementalists indeed.

Hana sent five of the lowliest servants to feed their guests. Should any of them feel the urge to lash out and perhaps take their frustration out on their caretaker, then none of them would be sorely missed. Their jobs were easy enough to fill with the next wretch outside that wanted work. Her task completed, the neutralizer went to attend Lord Enrhyll in the throne room where he was feasting upon food more fitting to his station. She was allowed to eat after he had finished, a privilege she enjoyed very much.

She had just finished eating when Kwan arrived, as per Lord Enrhyll's request. "Ah. There you are, Kwan," Enrhyll murmured softly, his dark eyes watching the captain closely. "How is the human?" he asked in such a way to indicate that he really didn't care.

Kwan bowed respectfully and responded, "Hangeng is repentant for his transgressions, my lord. He begs your forgiveness."

"Does he now?" Enrhyll asked with moderate interest. That did sound entirely like something a lowly human would say indeed. Especially one that had erred as badly as he had; pretending to be an elementalist when he wasn't…

Wisely, Kwan remained silent but did stand up to meet Enrhyll's eyes. He seemed unusually pleased and that concerned him. "You called for me, my lord?" he inquired instead.

"I did," Enrhyll agreed smoothly as he stood up, already smiling in anticipation. "Come," he gestured to both Hana and Kwan. "We're going to pay a little visit to Kyuhyun and Eleanara. They've earned a change of scenery," he added with malicious glee. He really didn't feel like possibly messing up the guest rooms with what he had planned so they would be moved to the dungeons.

Mildly alarmed, Kwan followed Enrhyll with an inquisitive glance at Hana. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye with a superior expression but offered no explanation. It bothered him that she too looked inordinately pleased. What had he missed when he was checking on Hangeng as ordered?

Eleanara was the first to be retrieved on the far side of the guest hall. Enrhyll watched the uncertainty and defiance flash across her face briefly. She still resented him for his actions against her when she had interfered. Magnanimously, he smiled at her and spoke regally, "I shall give you but one chance, Eleanara. I suggest you answer wisely," he stated as he exuded arrogance. Eleanara waited for him to continue, baffled by his statement until he asked, "What am I?"

The light elementalist regarded him evenly for a long moment, mulling over what she knew of him in her mind. He insisted he was a god but everything she had learned about them told her they were not the kinds of beings that he was. "I don't know what you are…" she finally admitted as she trembled slightly. "But I know you're not good." The various reactions of the three before her were confusing as Kwan winced at her answer while Hana looked annoyed and Enrhyll just smiled, which was perhaps the most frightening response of them all.

"Oh Eleanara," Enrhyll murmured with a shake of his head before he signaled for her to be brought along.

She was cut free of her bonds to release her from the chair but her hands were tied behind her back as soon as she was standing. "What's going on?" she asked with a mixture of confusion and fear. Kwan met her gaze evenly but he could offer no explanation. She was guided out of the room by the single guard who had been at the door as they headed around the corner and stopped at Kyuhyun's door.

The guards there stepped aside immediately and Enrhyll smiled at Kyuhyun's open defiance as soon as he stepped inside. Anger smoldered automatically in his eyes and the flames in the room flickered hungrily until Hana stepped forward, a focused expression on her face. "What do you want, Enrhyll?" the fire elementalist demanded darkly as he tested his bonds again.

"Now Kyuhyun… What did I ever do to earn such anger?" Enrhyll asked mockingly.

"Where is Summer?" Kyuhyun asked as his eyes focused on Eleanara who seemed alarmed and confused at the same time. Kwan's expression was neutral though if he didn't know better he could have sworn he saw a slight shake of his head.

"All I ask is that you accept me as your god, and yet…you openly defy everything I do. Is that any way to treat your god?" Enryhll asked sadly, though the emotion was empty. Kyuhyun grimaced and bit his tongue to keep from saying anything else. He had a very bad feeling about this. "Bring him," Enrhyll gestured imperiously before he turned around and preceded the small procession out the door.

Kyuhyun struggled ineffectively as his limbs were freed from the chair but his body was slow and unresponsive. Blood flow returned to his extremities slowly and before he had a chance to regain full sensation in his arms and legs, he found himself bound again and shoved forward towards the door with Hana right beside him and the two guards from his room directly behind him. Kwan was positioned in the middle between him and Eleanara and he kept glancing back over his shoulder in concern.

No…this was definitely not good. He certainly wasn't going to have much other chance to do anything so he reached out with his foot and caught Hana's legs up so that she tripped and fell forward with a startled cry. Immediately, he followed after her in an attempt to kick her when she was down, but the guards behind him grabbed him before he could.

"How dare you?" Hana snarled as she leapt to her feet and retrieved the dagger at her hip. Kyuhyun struggled when she came at him, trying to get out of her way.

"Hana!" Enrhyll called sharply, slowing her attack but not her momentum.

Swiftly, Kwan stepped in, drew his blade and with a precise upward swing, caught the dagger with the sword, sending the shorter blade flying into the air and away from the party. Hana looked at him with murderous eyes as even Kyuhyun seemed surprised. The captain simply sheathed the sword again in one smooth move and blinked at Hana impassively, "I believe Lord Enrhyll called you."

"Leave them be, Hana," Enrhyll warned softly in a voice that brooked no argument.

She quailed under that voice and meekly bowed her head before moving quickly to retrieve her errant dagger. "My apologies, my lord," she bowed nervously when her dagger was back at her hip. "It won't happen again," she promised.

"I know," he stated simply with a bland expression on his face as he looked down at her.

When he continued on again, Hana lagged behind until Kyuhyun was nearby once more and while she remained at his side, she made sure he was not close enough to do that again. The look she gave him could have cut steel but she was quiet and he held his tongue in turn, too concerned with where they were going instead. Kwan kept an eye on the pair as he continued to keep an eye on the pair from the middle of their group. He had no better idea than they did for what was going on, but he could at least make sure they arrived unharmed. His alarm, like the elementalist's, increased when he discerned they were heading for the dungeons. He did not like where this was going…

The dungeons were a surprisingly empty place, all things considered. Recently, only Hangeng was a visitor there with the rest of other such guests having been released, one way or another. Though it was ill staffed, so to speak, there were many, many cells open for Enrhyll's pleasure and the vast majority of them had chains and all manner of binding mechanisms within. The prisoner watched the small group file in, where the regular guards remained outside while the two elementalists were escorted by Enrhyll and his lackeys. This couldn't be good…

Confusion was still the primary emotion in the elementalists as they were simply being moved from one cage to another at this point, but fear was becoming prevalent since Enrhyll looked entirely too self-satisfied. As they were separated and placed in different cells, attached to the back wall with cuffs flush with the bricks, Enrhyll looked between them thoughtfully. He didn't know which one to start with; the mouthy one or the healer?

Finally, his gaze settled on Kyuhyun and he stepped up to the fire elementalist. He gestured over at Eleanara and turned his attention to her briefly as he instructed, "Blindfold her."

"No!" Eleanara denied as Hana took it upon herself to fulfill that order. The light elementalist kicked out at her in a vain attempt to keep her away but the neutralizer had learned her lesson with Kyuhyun and she succeeded without being hit this time.

"Leave her alone!" Kyuhyun growled as he kicked out at Enrhyll in turn. "Bastard," he muttered, hiding his fear behind anger.

"Oh, Kyu. You have brought this upon yourself," Enrhyll sighed. "If you had but loved me as you were supposed to, I would not have to do this to you," he admitted before he looked at his hand and called flames to life just above his palm. Dark eyes looked over the dancing fire and met the elementalist's gaze, reveling in the fear and uncertainty that shone through. "What? Surely you're not afraid of a little fire?" he asked teasingly as he whisked the element in front of Kyuhyun's face; close enough to feel the heat but not enough to burn…not yet.

"Get away!" the fire elementalist growled and kicked out at him again, almost clipping Enrhyll. The tyrant trapped his legs in stone after that attempt, to Kyuhyun's horror. Completely pinned, he focused on the flame in Enrhyll's palm, trying desperately to make it consume him instead. Infuriatingly, he felt Hana's influence, a heavy blanket pressing down on him, keeping his power inhibited. "No!" he howled in denial as Enrhyll tormented him with the heat of his own power.

As the smell of burnt flesh started to pervade the air, accompanying Kyuhyun's screams, Enrhyll promised, "When I am done, you will realize just how powerless you are, and you will call me your god."

Unable to bear the treatment he was witness too, Hangeng turned his eyes away and tried to cover his ears to block out the horrible sound of his screaming. Fervently, he wished to wake up from whatever nightmare he had fallen into…

Trapped and blinded, Eleanara could only listen to Kyuhyun's screams. "Stop it!" she cried in vain, wishing she could stop this madness. "Leave him alone! Kyu!" she screamed as tears soaked the blindfold. Now she understood why he had her blindfolded, since without her vision, she had no way of knowing the damage, nor did she have any chance of trying some sort of defense since she was equally likely to hit Kyuhyun.

Kwan was horrified to be witness to Kyuhyun's torture, for there was no other word for it. Time and again, he watched as cloth and flesh alike were burned away, only to be healed over almost immediately so that the process could be repeated. He was nauseated by it, in truth. Such tactics he had used himself on the field of battle to enemy soldiers who knew the risks they faced upon walking onto that field, but he would never have used them against these kids. It was all he could do to remain where he was and not run from the room or foolishly try to attack Enrhyll. Neither choice would have done him any good and the latter would get him killed… He was almost grateful when the flame died in Enrhyll's hand and Kyuhyun sagged against the clasps that held him, utterly exhausted and drained. That was until it became apparent that he wasn't finished.

Breathing heavily, Kyuhyun watched Enrhyll through slit eyes, struggling fiercely to remain conscious. Just because he was healed again did not mean he had not felt every burn visited upon his person. The pain lingered like some phantom, a bad memory to plague him. His voice shaky, he murmured, "If you think…I'm going…to call you god…"

He wasn't finished before Enrhyll interrupted him. "Yes, Kyu. You will," he promised again as he summoned a stationary shadow blade that arced just in front of his hand. "I have found that this is sharper than any blade I have ever seen. It cuts through bone as easily as it does through flesh. Shall I show you?" he asked quite seriously.

Kyuhyun knew the truth of that statement as he had seen Kharin use it to that same effect a time or two. He did not need to test it. "Piss off, _lord _Enrhyll," he muttered, turning the title into a derogatory term with his inflection.

"You really have brought this upon yourself," Enrhyll stated again, utterly convinced of that truth. The elementalist barked a disbelieving laugh as he took a breath and clenched his jaw shut, steeling himself for the next moment as he glared at Enrhyll, refusing to acknowledge his actions. The first cut was shallow, down the length of his left arm. He didn't realize he had been cut until he felt the blood trickling down his body and when he actually looked at the gaping wound, pain flared to life in the limb and his screams began anew.

With every cut, new pain speared through him, sharp and angry. He used every wound to bolster his power and focused, waiting for just one chance. One chance was all he needed. His eyesight became blurry as he tried to focus on Enrhyll's intense features and waited. Another cut, another bit of fuel to fan the fire, never mind that each wound was healed over almost immediately so that he would not bleed to death, however deep the cut may have been. Another cut and…there!

Eleanara couldn't stand it. Not being able to do anything to help him, to keep him from hurting, was as bad as torture. After a time, she finally stood still and simply held on to every scream that she heard, vowing she would not forget this moment. Enrhyll would pay for every mark against him; she would make sure of it. She was accustomed to the sound of Kyuhyun's screams by now, which was why she was startled and panicked when she heard Hana cry in denial just before Enrhyll screamed, followed quickly by a horrific sound from the fire elementalist. "Kyu? Kyu?" she shrieked, feeling something horrible had happened as his raw screams did not stop. "No, no, no, no, no," she uttered frantically.

"My lord?" she heard Hana cry over the sound of screaming.

She had to do something. Kyuhyun was in trouble… She had to…she had to… There was nothing she could focus on specifically so she didn't even try, but that didn't mean she was powerless. Forcefully, she mustered what power she could and shoved it outward, willing it to reach the elementalist. It didn't matter who else might be healed in turn, but she had to help him. Eleanara sagged against her bindings as an invisible wall spread out from her, traveling through a large portion of the dungeon and when it passed over a person, any wounds they had healed over.

Enrhyll felt the healing power slide over his person to mend the burned flesh of his face and torso, repairing the wounds that he had not yet had a chance to take care of himself. He shook from the intensity of the elementalist's reaction and then grimaced when he saw the young man hanging from the cuffs. He had been angry with him, but that faded away when he saw that his attempt had backfired for when he hit Enrhyll with his fire, he lost control of the shadow blade and it had flown from his hand and sliced completely through Kyuhyun's shoulder, slicing the arm off entirely. He could heal many things, but severed limbs did not fall under his power.

"My lord?" Hana asked in concern. She saw that he was alright, thanks in part to the light elementalist, but she had been unable to neutralize Kyuhyun's power entirely and that had taken her by surprise. How had he gotten through?

"I'm fine," he brushed her concern off and waved the earth away from Kyuhyun's feet. He was done with him. Enrhyll would be his god when he woke; of that much he was now certain. His attention turned invariably to Eleanara then. He did not even notice Kwan's stunned expression as he looked at the elementalist in disbelief.

Eleanara tensed when she heard someone approaching her, the footsteps deliberate and measured. It was too quiet now and the silence frightened her as much as the screams had. She flinched when the blindfold was yanked off her head and she looked up to see a frazzled Enrhyll peering down at her. His shirt had been mostly burned off and it appeared that at least one of his eyebrows was mostly gone. Freed from her blindness, she looked over to see how Kyuhyun was. A horrified gasp lodged in her throat as she saw him hanging from one arm, the other arm still hanging from the wrist on the wall but no longer attached to his body. "Kyu!" she shrieked, her voice cracking before she whipped her head around to stare at Enrhyll with furious eyes. "You monster!" she yelled.

Enrhyll was ready for her attempt to attack him and he side stepped when she picked up both feet to try and kick him, very much as Kyuhyun had done. When she missed and set her feet back down, he entrapped her in stone too, immobilizing her effectively. "He brought that on himself," he told her firmly. "It was because he interfered, that happened," and he pointed at the severed arm. "Just as you have brought this upon yourself," he told her sadly. "I must make you believe," he told her softly. As he called fire to his hand again, he saw fear and anger bloom in her hazel green eyes. "You will believe soon," he promised her intensely.

It had been bad enough enduring Kyuhyun's tortured screams, but when Kwan heard Eleanara's voice ring out in pain, he felt his insides knot and he had to swallow several times. This was wrong… He knew it in every fiber of his being and he hated himself for not doing anything. Held in place by his own self-loathing, he stood by, silent witness to the atrocities visited upon the elementalists. Shaken and deeply disturbed by what he was forced to listen to, Hangeng whimpered pitifully. "Please gods, make it stop," he muttered, over and over again, but despite his desperate prayers, it didn't…


	42. Chapter 42

Maddeningly, both Siwon and Leeteuk were left alone until well into the day. Their only interaction with anyone had been with their guards after the servants had brought them food and water. Well, it had at least resembled food anyway, not that the charred flavor had been particularly appetizing.

Blindfolded still, Leeteuk's confinement was particularly frustrating. How was not being able to see for his own good? Whoever had fed him hadn't removed it by strict instruction from his guard and so it had remained in place for the entire time since Kwan had put it there. If nothing else, he wanted to get up and move around. The prolonged lack of contact from anyone, especially the others he knew were here, was frustrating and worrisome. He had a knot in his stomach that wouldn't go away either, no matter how many times he told himself to relax.

His exile was finally broken when Kwan returned later in the day. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but when the blindfold was removed, Leeteuk was able to see the captain's features clearly and he was surprised. The normally unflappable face was filled with troubled emotions. "You may go," he told the guards who stood nearby, alert and curious.

"Sir?" they asked in unison.

"Lord Enrhyll has requested his presence in the throne room. You are not needed for now," he assured them firmly, some of his usual tone returning briefly. In confusion, the guards bowed slightly and made their way out, somewhat relieved to not have to stand watch as they had been all day. Leeteuk watched them depart with some concern before he focused on Kwan who ignored him until they were out of the room. The captain took a deep breath and finally met the elementalist's gaze.

"What has happened?" Leeteuk asked, positive that there was something wrong.

"Enrhyll wishes to see you and Siwon," he explained evenly, his eyes dark and heavy. "I am to take you to meet him for dinner."

"You haven't answered my question," Leeteuk stated more firmly this time.

Kwan gripped his shoulders and met his gaze evenly, his eyes desperate. "For the love of the gods, just do what he asks," he spoke, as close to pleading as he was going to get.

More than anything else, that shook Leeteuk and he searched the other man's face for some sign; something to give him insight into what brought about his change. "What has he done to them, Kwan?" the elementalist asked softly, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Kwan remained silent and stood up to head around to the back of the chair. "Just…don't provoke him," he cautioned before slicing through the bonds that held him. He knew it was dangerous to escort him unbound but in a way, he rather hoped the elementalist would attack him. He would gladly accept it as punishment or justice for his own cowardice in the dungeon.

Leeteuk made no promises but he looked back at the captain speculatively and when he would have lashed out otherwise, he held his hand and rubbed his wrists instead, encouraging blood flow to return. Standing up was both wondrous and painful as his feet had nearly gone to sleep as well and his first few steps were hesitant and wobbly. It was apparent Kwan wasn't going to tell him anything, so he would have to go to Enrhyll for his answers then. The haunted look in the captain's face did not make him feel any better though.

The pair walked through the guest wing, which was curiously empty of guards. Unless he was by himself, there should have been guards at some of the doors…shouldn't there? He was only slightly reassured by the appearance of guards in the main hall leading to the throne room. Those he remembered from his first visit here and he glared at them coldly. Tension built inside of him the closer they got to the throne room and he was greeted by the delicious aroma of exceptionally prepared food.

When they arrived, Enrhyll was seated at his throne, like the last time. He did not seem to be partaking of the feast as the table was situated at the bottom of the raised dais and away from him. Siwon had already been seated at one end of the table. Hana was standing at Enrhyll's left, focusing intently on the water elementalist who in turn had two additional guards standing immediately behind him. "Please," Kwan gestured towards the chair at the other end of the table, across from Siwon.

Warily, Leeteuk moved to sit down and met Siwon's gaze, who seemed equally as confused and troubled as he was. "Greetings," Enrhyll smiled from his perch and leaned forward as the earth elementalist was seated.

Leeteuk's hands twitched in his lap. The last time they had attempted to attack him, they had failed miserably. Should they try again, given the results they had already faced? Slowly, he tipped his head at Enrhyll but offered nothing else, waiting with suspicious eyes for the tyrant to say something else.

"Where are the others?" Siwon asked, looking at the empty spaces around the table and then back at Enrhyll, his own gaze wary.

"They are contained," Enrhyll answered evenly. "They are…learning to believe," he smiled and gestured at the array of food. "Help yourselves," he offered graciously.

Neither touched the food before them and Leeteuk demanded first, "Believe what?"

Enrhyll turned his gaze to the earth elementalist solely. "That I am a god." The statement was said so matter-of-factly, one would almost believe it.

With a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, Leeteuk muttered, "And why would they believe that?"

"Because it's true, of course," Enrhyll explained as his expression leveled out in annoyance. When his response failed to provoke any reaction other than sardonic looks from the pair, he added, "Of course I did have to be a little persuasive."

Both Siwon and Leeteuk stood up immediately, their legs knocking the chairs back, sliding silently over the carpet. "What did you do to them?" Leeteuk growled as his hands came to rest forcefully on the table.

"Where are they?" Siwon demanded heatedly, his expression dark as he glared at Enrhyll.

Immediately, the guards reacted to keep them where they were. Kwan placed a hand on Leeteuk's shoulder, which he ignored and the two behind Siwon grabbed his arms firmly, to his consternation. Hana rolled her eyes while Enrhyll just seemed perturbed by their reactions. "I had thought you may have come to your senses since this morning," he sighed instead and placed his fingers to his temple in obvious annoyance. "After everything you've seen, everything that I've done… Sit down!" he commanded abruptly with a blast of wind at both of them.

Caught by surprise, it was enough to push them back into their seats when the backs of their knees bumped into their chairs. Leeteuk gripped the sides of his chair hard and focused. He could feel Hana's influence pressing against him, denying him the use of his power, but that didn't stop him from giving Enrhyll a murderous glare. "Damn you," he growled, a statement which seemed to amuse the tyrant.

"It seems I will have to make you believe as well," Enrhyll mused thoughtfully with a glance between the elementalists.

"Wait," Siwon called softly with a glance at Leeteuk, his gaze unreadable.

"Yes?" the tyrant murmured in response, shifting his attention to the water elementalist with interest. "Have you come to your senses then, Siwon?" he asked smoothly.

"May I?" Siwon asked with an inquisitive gesture towards his throne.

Enrhyll debated the request for but a second before he nodded in acceptance. Beside, him Hana shifted nervously but a glance in her direction settled her. With arrogant eyes, he watched the elementalist approach him, curious what he was going to do. Was he going to bow before him as he should have this whole time? Would he finally profess that he was wrong and admit that Enrhyll was a god?

Siwon made sure he didn't let his gaze stray in either direction as he stepped up towards the man in the throne. "It's true you are very powerful," he admitted, his expression still neutral. "And that your powers of persuasion are exceptional, I'm sure."

"Of course," Enrhyll smiled in agreement, warming up to the matter. "It only makes sense," he added smugly, amused by the elementalist.

He was almost to him now…just keep talking, "And of course we should be honored by your attention." The words felt heavy on his tongue and he had to fight to keep inflection out of them.

"Quite right," Enrhyll nodded, leaning forward slightly, soaking up the words eagerly.

Siwon was on the step below him then and just out of reach. The hint of a smile pulled at his lips and he whispered, "But you're just as human as the rest of us." Too late, Enrhyll realized his danger as the elementalist closed the distance between them. With a vice like grip, Siwon grasped Enrhyll's throat in his hands. A reactive gust of wind slammed into his midsection and he groaned at the pain, but he refused to relinquish his hold on his target.

Immediately, the two guards stampeded up the steps and Hana lunged at Siwon, vainly attempting to pry his fingers off while Enrhyll's eyes bulged, mouth gaping frantically as he tried to draw a breath.

As soon as Siwon acted, Leeteuk stood up and when he felt resistance from Kwan's grip on his shoulder, he whirled on him angrily. With no hesitation, he reached for the earth and was exultant when it responded, heaving up under the captain and throwing him back effortlessly. As soon as he was free, Leeteuk bolted up the steps too, fully intent on killing Enrhyll.

Panicked, Enrhyll scraped at his throat trying to get his fingers under Siwon's but the elementalist was incredibly strong. He couldn't breath! Even the guards weren't able to pull him off, since when they pulled him back, Siwon's hold brought Enrhyll with them. "Let go!" Hana shrieked as she reached for her dagger with shaky hands.

Focused on his target, Siwon didn't even register what Hana was doing until he felt the blade slice through his left forearm and his hand became unresponsive. "No!" he growled as he vainly struggled to maintain his hold, an adrenaline high enough to negate the pain in his arm for the time being.

With the break in his grip, Enrhyll gained his first breath of air, restoring a measure of calm for him. Anger flooded through him then and in a fit of pique, he sent a rolling wall of earth from directly in front of him, accompanied by a flurry of wind that caught the two elementalists and the guards squarely. Siwon's fingers dug rivets in his skin, tearing away flesh where he refused to let go easy.

The four tumbled through the air and hit the table before bouncing off, feeling very much as if they'd been hit by a battering ram. Siwon and Leeteuk, free of the guards that had held the former, dazedly looked up, struggling to get their bearings as they felt the strength of power surge around them. Having caught the brunt of force from their fall, the guards moaned pathetically just at the edge of the table between the elementalists and Enrhyll.

"You would dare lay your hands on me?" Enrhyll snarled viciously, all reason gone from his eyes. Savagely, he caught Siwon up in a swirl of rock that tore up through the carpet and conformed around him, trapping all but his head. The cocoon shuddered for but a moment until Leeteuk's attempts to tear it down were neutralized.

"Stop it!" he cried as he placed his hands on the slowly shifting and constricting mass of earth that refused to listen to him

Siwon screamed as the earth pressed in on him, making it hard to breathe and slowly constricting so that he felt his bones grate excruciatingly against each other. He had never felt such pain and it made thought impossible. His awareness became agony and the certainty he was going to die.

"Enrhyll! Stop it! You're killing him!" Leeteuk yelled, terrified that he wouldn't stop. "Enrhyll!" he growled as he pushed himself away from the sight and then started to run at the tyrant again. His element wouldn't respond but as Siwon had shown, physical attacks did work.

He hadn't made it more than a few steps before Enrhyll focused on him and with a savage frown, threw him back against the stone cocoon with another angry gust of wind. His head smacked the casing as the strength of the blast pinned him to the surface for a few seconds before letting him slump to the ground, unconscious.

That threat dealt with, he resumed his focus on Siwon with a scowl. "Treacherous cretin," Enrhyll muttered twisting the stone again, smiling when the elementalist's screaming resumed. "You will pay for your deception."

Moderately bruised, Kwan limped forward, his heart pounding. Everything had happened so fast and Siwon was in mortal danger. Hurriedly, he made his way up the steps, "My Lord!" Enrhyll and Hana both glanced over at him sharply, the look in the former's eyes making him blanch.

"Yes, Kwan?" Enrhyll asked with one brow raised, his attention diverted enough to stop him from killing Siwon immediately as the stone went still.

He dropped his gaze and knelt immediately, completely subservient as he spoke, "Begging your pardon, my lord. If you continue, he will die."

Enrhyll laughed sharply. "Do you think I don't know that?"

Kwan flinched from his tone. "Of course not, my lord. But if you kill them, they will never believe," he murmured, trembling at the daring of his words.

"Of course they will," Hana scoffed with a disdainful glance at the two on the floor.

"Maybe," Kwan conceded, but he looked up to meet Enrhyll's terrifying gaze. "But you won't be able to see it. You won't be able to hear it from them personally. They will never be able to tell you how glorious and generous you are, lord Enrhyll." He almost had him. He could see the bloodlust waning slowly.

"So what? He has the others still," Hana added distractingly. "He should just kill these dogs who dared to hurt him."

Enrhyll blinked at her words and paused as he raised a hand up to his throat. Only now did he realize that it hurt and when he pulled his hand back, he could see there was blood staining his fingers. His eyes widened and his hand twitched. They had hurt him…a god. "I must go," he stated as if in a daze. He had to see for himself; had to see what they had done. With a wave of his hand, he banished the cocoon around Siwon and the elementalist crumpled to the ground directly next to Leeteuk, completely limp.

"My lord?" Hana asked in concern as he left the throne room immediately. She followed in his wake when there was no response, a worried expression on her face.

When they were gone, Kwan rushed down the steps, holding his ribs, and fell beside the elementalists. Quickly, he reached to feel for a pulse and allowed a single sigh of relief as he realized they were both alive. Concern shadowed him next though as he saw Siwon's arm pulsing blood. That stupid Hana… He took his sash off and split it in two, using one piece to tie a tourniquet above the wound and the other to bind the cut itself.

"Captain?" the two recovering guards shuffled over to stand near him, unsure what they were supposed to do now that Enrhyll was gone and their charges unconscious. In truth, Kwan didn't know either, but he was going to pretend otherwise.

"Come on," he urged, waving them closer. "We need to get them back to their rooms," he explained

"But lord Enrhyll…" the one started to say.

"Gave no orders otherwise," Kwan snapped with a stern look up at them.

"Sir!" they saluted and moved closer to him.

Kwan knew it was not a good idea to move Siwon but it was far better than leaving him here. A concerned glance at the unconscious man didn't show anything else that had been done to him, but he wasn't sure how badly he had been crushed… A thin trickle of blood had escaped the one side of his mouth and his breathing seemed a little labored; he only hoped he'd remain unconscious while they moved them. Leeteuk seemed slightly better off, though his hair was bloody from where his head had hit the stone earlier.

With a sigh and a slow shake of his head, he motioned for the two guards to carry Siwon between them and he carefully hefted Leeteuk's body over his shoulder, wincing at the twinge he felt in his torso. The elementalist had gotten him good with that attack earlier.

While he led them back to the guest rooms, he shook his head at his own audacity. He wasn't sure why he was so driven to make sure they survived. It certainly would have been safer to keep his mouth shut, but he had to admit he felt guilty too. He had been unable to do anything for Kyuhyun and Eleanara…it would have been worse had he just stood by with Siwon and Leeteuk. Admittedly, there were other reasons too, but he shied away from thinking about them. So long as they were alive, there was a chance for them to overcome everything.

Kwan kept that thought very close indeed and it was a struggle not to look around nervously, which might well be suspicious. No…best just to keep his head low for now and make sure they didn't do anything else to get themselves killed. They stopped at Siwon's room first and when the guards would have bound him in bed, Kwan negated that idea immediately.

"But sir. Lord Enrhyll-"

"Almost killed him. Do you honestly believe he'll be going anywhere when he wakes up?" he asked crossly, a perturbed expression on his face as he shifted Leeteuk's body on his shoulder. "Just watch him," he sighed in exasperation as they seemed uneasy with the idea. "And you," he pointed at the second guard. "Come with me."

The guard followed Kwan as they returned to Leeteuk's room. Unfortunately, he had no such excuse for the earth elementalist and was forced to tie at least his hands. He made sure Leeteuk was resting easy after taking another look at the head wound. There really wasn't much he could do for that… Without another word, he nodded in acknowledgement to the guard and then stepped out into the hallway.

A sigh escaped him as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Something was going to have to happen soon. Enrhyll was becoming more and more unpredictable and that was simply dangerous for everybody.


	43. Chapter 43

Even with as exhausted as the party had been, sleep did not come easy for the group in the Minstrel's Dance due largely to the amount of nervous tension they all carried, but when they finally fell into that sweet embrace, it was nigh on divine. Henry and Zhou Mi convinced Eun Mi to accompany them to allow Kharin and Eunhyuk at least some privacy since they had been separated for days now. Eun Mi conceded largely because she knew it was good for their emotional and mental health, which was just as important as their physical health. In room number 7, Zhou Mi opted to take the floor to allow Henry and Eun Mi the beds.

While there were two beds in room number 8, Kharin and Eunhyuk curled up on just one of them. They fell asleep facing each other, hands still loosely entwined and heads nearly touching as they curled slightly towards the other. For all that they normally shifted in their sleep, the pair slept in exactly the same manner the whole night through. If they happened to move just a bit closer in their sleep, who was to say they minded?

Eunhyuk woke first with the realization that Kharin was still sleeping, her head tucked almost under his chin so that a few strands of hair tickled his skin lightly when he shifted carefully. For the first few moments of waking, he simply looked at her as she slept, watching her eyes flicker while she dreamt and noting the weariness that one good night of sleep had not been able to wipe away. She was wearing different clothes than the last time he had seen her and those she had on were stained from the road. A glance at his person showed he wasn't in much better condition. He noticed that stray tendrils of hair had escaped her braid and fallen into her face while she slept so he carefully reached out to trace the threads gently behind her ear.

At the tender touch, Kharin murmured softly in her sleep and stirred, green eyes fluttering open as she tried to identify what had disturbed her. Almost immediately, she looked up and saw Eunhyuk smiling sweetly, blonde hair unwrapped and half-way falling into his soft brown eyes. Uncharacteristically, she blushed slightly and gave him a shy smile. "Hey," she murmured somewhat awkwardly. It wasn't that she was unused to sharing a bed or even that she was sharing it with him; it was just different and…quite enjoyable.

"Morning," Eunhyuk smiled, returning his hand to clasp hers lightly. "How did you sleep?" he asked softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Better than I have in days," she admitted with a breathy laugh, shifting to prop herself up on one elbow, fingers threaded through her hair, leaving her other hand in his. "You?" she asked while she took a moment to reach back and remove the tie from her hair. She would have to redo the braid later as it was simply falling apart at this point.

"The same," he admitted with a bright smile, propping himself up to mirror her position and watching as her thick chestnut hair slowly unwound to hang like a satin curtain just above the bed. The pair spent a moment in silence where they heard the general noise of the tavern coming to life in the floor beneath them as the cooking staff must have been getting ready for the day. Quiet voices drifted in from the outside, foretelling the start of the day in the city as well. "I'm glad you're alright," Eunhyuk finally spoke as he reached up his free hand to caress the side of her face tenderly.

Kharin closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of his touch, so grateful that she had found him. She could not have hoped for better and while they were both worried sick about the others, they had found each other, against all odds otherwise. "Mostly," she admitted and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze evenly. "But I'd imagine you would say the same."

Eunhyuk nodded slowly. The past few days had not been easy by any means and he knew her path had probably been just as difficult, if not more so. There was so much that had happened in the time since they had been split up that they didn't really know where to begin. "I wanted to search for you," he admitted at last, looking away as he remembered that first day when the construct had nearly wiped them out. "I can't even… I can't tell you…" Eunhyuk struggled to put the words together, to tell her how hard it had been to leave the river that day without knowing she was alright, but he just couldn't get them out.

"Shhh," Kharin soothed placing a finger over his lips as she felt a lump appear in her throat. "I know," she told him instead. "We did what we had to do that day," she spoke for both of them in a very small voice. "You were right, to go with Summer," she told him firmly, not wanting him to doubt his choice that day. "And someone had to take care of Leeteuk," she laughed, though there were tears in her eyes. She had gotten him so far and then just lost him…and Siwon.

When she looked in Eunhyuk's eyes, she saw tears there as well and forced a smile. He responded in turn, "At least we know where they are. Don't we?" He knew about Summer and Hangeng, though she would have no idea who he was. He recalled Eun Mi mentioning Siwon and she had mentioned Leeteuk, but maybe they had an idea what had happened to Kyuhyun and Eleanara as well.

Slowly, over the course of the early morning hours, the pair filled in the gaps of what they hadn't been privy to so far apart. Eunhyuk detailed how he had met Summer's family and made Kharin laugh at his explanation of her siblings. She was amused at his suggestion that she would get along with Kangin and would probably laugh at Hangeng's speech, as he didn't quite have the knack of all the right words yet. In turn, Kharin told of how she and Leeteuk had made their way towards the port city. He was distressed to hear that Leeteuk had broken his ankle but impressed with the solution and their bravery. None of them had thought to study medicine extensively as they'd had Eleanara but for all that, Kharin had done remarkably well.

When she was finished with explaining everything they had to go through to get to Eun Mi's cabin, Eunhyuk definitely felt that she had a more difficult journey than he did. Especially since they'd had to evade a patrol and find their own food. It was also distressing to learn that they had just missed Eleanara and Kyuhyun when they had been captured but he was alternately happy to hear that they had found Siwon in the cabin shortly thereafter and befriended his rescuers in turn. Yong-Soo sounded like a very interesting fellow and he was certainly curious to know about Eun Mi, since she had accompanied Kharin this far.

Kharin relayed what Siwon had seen in the scrying bowl of the others and couldn't resist poking fun at him for dancing with Summer in the manor. He took the teasing well and simply grinned, grateful for the happy memory. When she went on to explain what Eun Mi and Yong-Soo had told them of the Order of the Elements, he listened intently until she was finished, trying to draw connections with what he had been told. When she finished, he offered his story in turn. Kharin was most interested in the tale that Myung Hee had told them of Sinrielle and she sat enraptured as he explained it as best he could.

Curiously, she pulled out the amulet that she had kept beneath her shirt for the majority of their journey and inspected it as Eunhyuk had. "There is an indent," she agreed softly as she traced her fingers over the smooth spot they hadn't really noticed before.

Eunhyuk nodded and then his expression turned puzzled as he regarded his own amulet in thought. "Sinrielle gave the stones of power to the Order of the Elements and Enrhyll came from them too… Do you think…?" he started to ask and then shook his head. "It can't be, can it?"

Confounded, Kharin just looked at him for a few seconds and then blinked once. "That's impossible… But it makes so much sense," she grimaced as if she had swallowed something bad.

"But how?" Eunhyuk asked, as troubled by the thought as she was. The stones had been powerless when she gave them over. How would he have gained their power?

Kharin shook her head in confusion and shrugged, "I've no idea. Maybe the others can help us figure it out," she mentioned with a glance at the door. When no one came through as they half expected, the pair shrugged and agreed to inquire when the others woke. For the time being, they continued to fill in the gaps of their absence from each other.

Eunhyuk told of how Henry and Zhou Mi had ended up in the manor and how Sang Kyu had relented in sending them fully prepared to the capitol and both recounted their battles with those blasted constructs in agitation. Both were impressed with each other's battle strategies and Eunhyuk's ability to call down vortexes and fly definitely caught her attention. He was equally impressed with her abilities to effectively destroy them as well as to make others forget she was even there.

"I've got a construct too," Eunhyuk admitted when there was a break in their conversation.

"What?" Kharin exclaimed. "You captured one?" she asked in confusion.

"No," Eunhyuk laughed lightly. "I created one. He…it's still outside actually. I can feel it above the tavern. It sort of just follows me around," he shrugged in amusement.

For a moment, Kharin just stared at him, dumbfounded, before she started laughing. "Oh, that was brilliant," she grinned, piecing together what she had seen of the other constructs. "You faked your own capture didn't you?" she mock chided.

Grinning like a little kid, Eunhyuk nodded. "It worked too. And I'll bet you walked right in, didn't you?" he asked with a knowing smile. He hadn't spent much time in the shadow realm but he knew what she could do.

"Of course," she winked easily.

They would have said more but a quiet knock on the door made them both look over. "Hello?" Eunhyuk called out as he stood up, somewhat stiffly, and made his way over. When he opened the door, he saw Zhou Mi standing outside patiently with a tray of food and cups and a pitcher of water, presumably. "Mimi," the elementalist smiled. "Come in," he waved, grinning when he saw Henry and Eun Mi not that far behind, the former still rubbing sleep from his eyes and a hand through sleep mussed hair.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but we heard you talking and figured it was safe enough to see if you were hungry," Zhou Mi offered as he set the tray down on the side table before offering the empty bed to his companions and pulling up the lone chair.

"No. Thank you," Kharin smiled softly as she sat up and accepted the wooden mug that Eunhyuk handed her first.

"So?" Henry started, already passing out the breakfast rolls and chewing on the one in his other hand. "Do we have any ideas for today?"

"Henry. Don't talk with your mouth full," Zhou Mi chided in amusement.

"Sorry," he murmured with a mischievous grin around the same mouthful, causing his companion to sigh in exasperation.

"Not quite," Eunhyuk shrugged. "We were just filling in the gaps really." Quickly, the two sketched out a brief overview of what they had covered that morning, promising to fill the minstrels in with more detail at a later date and completely forgetting to inquire about the stones of power in light of their next task. Right now, time was not their friend.

"It would appear that we are still at square one," Eun Mi sighed, just as stumped as the others as to how to get into the palace.

"I could probably shadow walk there, but if any of the doors are closed, I'm rather stuck…" Kharin admitted with some annoyance. Her inability to manipulate moveable objects when in the shadow realm was incredibly frustrating.

"That would be problematic," Zhou Mi agreed with one hand resting on his chin in thought.

Like the rest, Eunhyuk was trying to think of something to help them get in, but nothing was coming to him either. Not only that, but on the edge of his senses, he kept feeling his construct move around and it had been doing so more only recently. It was bothersome as it seemed mildly agitated and he had no idea why. "Pardon me," he excused himself as he extricated his person from the conversation and headed over to the closed window to see if he could glimpse anything.

Upon opening the portal, he saw the wall of the building immediately across from them but when he stuck his head and upper body out, he could see up and down the alley to get a better view and noticed near the front of the building, the tail end of a fairly large patrol passing by with a couple of them pointing up in the sky at something. Eunhyuk looked up to see what they were looking at and he blinked uncomprehendingly before he realized they were taking note of his construct. "Umm…" he murmured nervously as he closed the window and pulled himself back inside. "I just saw a patrol pass by," he mentioned nervously.

"There are small patrols that travel all over the city," Zhou Mi shrugged, unconcerned.

"They were, sort of…ummm, pointing at my construct," he admitted, embarrassed.

It took but a moment for the other four to realize what that meant and Eun Mi stood up suddenly. "They know you're here…"

"I thought you sent it away," Henry stated, glancing at Eun Mi and then focusing on Eunhyuk.

"I did," he explained. "I thought, anyway. I don't know how to banish it," he explained quickly as he threw his hands up in helplessness.

"Calm down," Kharin urged as she hopped to her feet too. "The question is what are we going to do about it. Is there a back door we can go out?"

"Probably on the first floor," Henry murmured dejectedly.

"You can't fight them off," Eun Mi stated bluntly, negating that idea as quickly as possible.

"We can if we have to," Kharin told her firmly, daring the healer to challenge her on that one.

Eunhyuk stepped between them and raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Easy. Isn't there something else we can do besides fighting? I think we've all done plenty of that lately," he stated, glad that no one argued with the thought, though Kharin's eyes were still flashing slightly.

Zhou Mi stepped closer to the door and peeked out to judge how much time they had left. He didn't see anyone immediately and he wasn't sure how much time Dong-Min would be able to buy them, if any. "I've an idea," he started, focusing on Kharin, "but you're not going to like it."

"What?" the four asked in unison, looking at each other fretfully.

"One way or another, they're going to know that we were with you. Someone will tell them so there's little chance of us escaping," he admitted and Henry nodded along in agreement with that sadly, a fact that scared Eun Mi based on the expression that flit across her face. "But you two can still walk right in," he added with a raised brow.

For a moment, Kharin and Eunhyuk looked at each other and then the shadow elementalist shook her head. "You can't expect us to just let you get captured and escorted to the palace…" When they just looked at her expectantly, she sighed and shook her head, "Or maybe you can. You're right. I don't like it," she stated flatly. "And we're not leaving you."

"Of course you're not," he grinned. "You'll be right there with us the whole time," he winked with a glance at his shadow.

"You don't have much choice," Henry admitted with a shrug. "We're going to the palace one way or another," he forced a laugh, putting on a brave front. "We'd just rather you be free when you get there."

They all jumped as they heard a loud banging outside the door. "Zhou Mi. Henry," a powerful voice called as the door across the hall was pushed open. The group looked at each other nervously and Zhou Mi made sure the door was locked before he looked at the elementalists nervously.

"I don't like it any more than you do," Eunhyuk stated as he grabbed Kharin's hand in his reassuringly, "but it's your choice."

As a knock on their door suddenly rang out, she met Eunhyuk's gaze and then looked at the others, seeking a better answer. "Open the door, Zhou Mi. Henry. We know you're in there," that same voice called as something heavy thudded into the closed portal.

"We'll be fine. Just go!" Zhou Mi urged quietly before he stepped closer to Eun Mi and Henry, taking the former's hand in his and patting it comfortingly, oblivious to the knowledge that she was Enrhyll's half-sister.

In helpless frustration, Kharin balled her other fist and growled before she pulled Eunhyuk close and took a deep breath. As the door thudded behind them again, the pair fell through the floor and into the shadow realm. She held her breath as she watched the new lights break into the room and gather up the three they had just been with.

"It's going to be alright, Kharin," Eunhyuk assured her with a comforting squeeze to her hand. "Come on. Let's just make sure we can keep up," he encouraged, pressing her to follow gently when the white pools of light left the room en mass.

Effectively, they placed themselves in the middle of the group and made sure they were surrounded at all times. The pair found that going down stairs was rather eerie in appearance but otherwise just the same as in the real world. Doors she would not have been able to open were seemingly moved of their own accord allowing them to step out with the rest of the party. Even when they were outside, keeping track wasn't as difficult as they had initially thought it might be since the patrol was given a wide berth and they had little difficulty in getting the regular people to move out of their path.

Despite their misgivings about the suggestion, the elementalists had to admit that it was worked surprisingly well. They could only hope that it would continue to hold. It wasn't until they made their way through the front doors of the palace that they started to become really nervous. Whether they were ready or not, they were here…

* * *

><p>In the dungeon, even long after the screams had stopped and Enrhyll and those with him had left, if seemed as if Hangeng could still hear the sounds bouncing off the walls. For a long time, he laid where he was on the floor, curled into a ball and wishing the horrible sounds to go away. He was filled with a vague sense of loathing since he was actually glad that it had not been him cuffed to the wall… At the same time, he would have rather no one have to go through that ever.<p>

Once even the echoes of the screams died down, silence reigned. He couldn't hear anything from the elementalists and there were no guards in the immediate area so all he could discern was the sound of his own breathing. Eventually, he became aware of a strange whimpering sound and it prompted him to uncurl and figure out what it was coming from.

The lighting in the dungeon was not great, but it was more than enough to see them by. Both had been left in their cells and attached to the wall. Their clothes were in bloody tattered shambles and to his embarrassment, he saw that Eleanara had not been covered decently when Enrhyll had finished with her. The remains of her robe littered the ground around her, though her pants remained relatively whole, which was exactly how Kyuhyun's had ended up too. Except for his arm, there wasn't a mark on either of their bodies to show what horrors they had endured, though they were both liberally covered in their own blood.

While Eleanara seemed to be unconscious, Hangeng noticed the sound was coming from Kyuhyun who was still hanging from his one arm. He appeared conscious, for all that his eyes were open, but his gaze was unfocused and he didn't seem aware of much of anything just then. Every so often, what was left of his shoulder would twitch and the sound would falter but then he would settle again and resume his strange intonation.

"Hey," Hangeng called softly, trying to see if he would get any sort of reaction. "Kyuhyun!" he tried again, a bit louder this time, but the effect was the same. The elementalist just kept staring off into the air, unaware of anyone else nearby. With a wince, Hangeng shifted his attention to the young woman. "Eleanara?" he questioned hesitantly, unsure what reaction he would garner from her. They were in the cells across from him and as such, he was able to see when she came to.

The same sound that had gained Hangeng's interest pervaded Eleanara's awareness and she slowly picked her head up to see what was going on, feeling a dull sensation of pain throughout her body, remembering acutely every cut and burn she had endured. It didn't stop her from flinching at her own vulnerability now or the tears that came of their own accord as she focused on her person. Her first deep breath was shaky as she struggled with trying not to cry outright. This was not the time…and what was making that noise?

Her tears threatened to intensify when she saw Kyuhyun's vacant expression and heard the piteous whimper. "Kyu?" she called, her voice feeling raw and raspy and she wondered if Enrhyll had missed healing that. When he did not react at all, she couldn't stop the sobs that took her then.

Mired in the depressive reality of their dual conditions, she did not even realize there was another person present until a few moments later. With a start, she realized that the man in the cell across from them had been calling her name. It took her a few seconds to recognize who he was. "I…kn-know you," she hiccupped softly.

"Please don't cry," Hangeng asked quietly from across the way, his hands gripping lightly to the bars as he watched her. "Eleanara," he tried again as she looked up to meet his gaze. "Don't cry," he urged, bravely putting on a smile.

"But…" she started to say, annoyed that she couldn't even wipe the tears away as they trailed down her face.

"But you is alive," he reminded her persistently. "And so is he."

Eleanara shifted her gaze back to Kyuhyun with a hiccupping sob. He was alive, which she was grateful for, but he wasn't there. The Kyuhyun she knew and had grown up with was not that man chained to the wall in the cell next to her. But…that didn't mean that he wouldn't come back. Of all the wounds she'd healed thus far, they had all been physical and certainly he had sustained a terrible injury, but she knew it was something to do with his mind. "H-he's lost," she finally murmured around her tears with a long look at him. It was the only way she could describe it.

Hangeng looked at Kyuhyun in turn and his brow furrowed at the vacant expression there. "Can you help him be found?" he asked at length, not sure how one would get lost in a dungeon in the first place.

"I d-don't kn-know," Eleanara admitted as she wracked her brain for some sort of answer. It wasn't as if she could touch him to _feel _what was wrong. Maybe if she tried something he was familiar with…but what? She had a great many memories of him and the others, but nothing jumped out that she felt would be striking for him until she remembered listening to his voice. That pure, angelic voice it felt like she had not heard in far too long…

He could sing anything really, but his talent had truly come to life in ballads and the type of songs that regularly made her cry. One in particular came to mind; a ballad he had found in the music room not that long ago. He had only sung it a few times for them, but it was beautiful. Now how did it go…? Slowly, she closed her eyes and started to sing in her raspy broken voice:

"It doesn't matter if I'm lonely. Whenever I think of you  
>A smile spreads across my face."<p>

She did not remember all the words, or even the order of the verses, but she sang what she knew and as she sang, she poured into it her wish for Kyuhyun to be okay.

"For me, hope is a dream that never sleeps.  
>No matter how many times I stumble and fall<br>I'm still standing like this."

In the opposite cell, Hangeng listened as best he could. How was a song supposed to make him found again? Not that it wasn't a pretty song, though her voice wasn't very good right now. When she finished the last line, she paused and he could tell that she was struggling to find the words. Both were startled when a new voice picked up the next line, the tone quiet and raw, but pure and focused.

"I only have one heart.  
>When I'm tired you become my strength."<p>

Kyuhyun finished up the song that Eleanara started and finally looked up from under his disheveled bangs to focus his pained but clear gaze on her. "Maybe you shouldn't sing anymore, Nara," he murmured with a ghost of his usual humor.

Too happy to be even remotely hurt by the words, she just grinned and had to blink tears out of her eyes again. "You're back."

His face darkened as he glanced at his aching shoulder and then he leaned back and rested his head against the wall as he forced his expression to relax. "Yeah, but what do we do now?" No way was he going to admit he wouldn't be able to endure that again. It had almost broken him… Another sidelong glance at his arm prompted him to add the thought that it had almost broken him in more ways than one.

As it was impossible to tell how much time had passed since they'd been down here, they had no way of knowing what time it was. Hunger may have been a good indication but neither was hungry in the least and Hangeng seemed as unable to tell the difference in time as they were.

Eleanara finally gained control over her tears and Kyuhyun pushed the phantom ache in his arm to the back of his mind. He didn't know what he would feel or how he would act when he saw Enrhyll again, but he was going to pay. As his mind wandered down that dark path, Hangeng relayed his thanks to Eleanara for saving his life and told what he knew of the others.

For now, it was enough to know that the others were alive. The only one they had no confirmation of was Siwon, but if the rest of them were alive, then he had to be as well. For the time being, all they could do was cling to their sanity as best they could and pray for just a little luck.


	44. Chapter 44

Enrhyll inspected the flesh of his neck again in the standing oval mirror in his room after having picked at his breakfast. The ugly scratches were completely gone, but he compulsively continued to check, just to make sure. There had also been some bruising where that man's fingers had pressed too hard, crushing his perfect skin. That was not supposed to happen. They were not supposed to actually hurt him…a god…

Their placement had abruptly shifted in his mind so that Siwon now topped his list of persons to break by whatever means necessary. Certainly, the others had attacked him, but that one…that man…he was the only one to lay a hand on him. Perhaps he would have his hands removed. That would be a fitting punishment for abusing his person. He didn't wish him dead anymore, but he _would_ grovel and beg and plead for Enrhyll's mercy.

A good night's rest had done little to restore his temperament but he was ready to face the elementalists again. They would be persuaded to accept his rule if he had to break every one of them. They would all call him god by the time he was done with them. He imagined a night spent in solitude and dealing with their own defeats might make them more amenable to behaving. It was also time to see if the neutralizer was ready to come around. Blandly, he glanced over at Hana who had maintained a constant vigil at his door. Bothersome woman… He had not forgotten that she was the one to suggest he kill the elementalists last night. He had almost listened to her too; she had almost actually influenced one of his decisions. That alone was enough to make him disinclined to favor her. No one tried to manipulate him. No one!

He forced himself to take a calming breath and ignored Hana again for now. Considering his domination of the elementalists so far, it should not be hard to convince Summer his way was right. If she disagreed…well he could simply make her believe too, one way or the other. Carefully, he looked himself over in the mirror one more time, pulling at his garments absently.

He was wearing royal garb today, of a deep red coloration, trimmed in gold and heavily embroidered with symbols of power and divinity. Silken black locks were elaborately pulled back in a series of tiny braids where they were clipped at the back of his head. The rest of the flowing mass cascaded down his back majestically, shimmery and well-trimmed. With a final glance at his neck to see the unblemished flesh, he adorned his neck and chest with a heavy gold necklace. Various rings of each elemental coloration sparkled on his fingers and he smiled, a bright divine expression.

"Let's go, Hana," he gestured off-handedly as she moved out of his path while he stepped through the door.

"Of course, my lord," Hana murmured with her head bowed. She wasn't blind to her loss of favor, but she did not understand why. Everything she did was for him and yet he still refused to see it. He had not yet said that he loved her, as she loved him and no matter what she said or did…it simply did not seem to be enough.

* * *

><p>Locked in a room with her guard with only her thoughts to keep her company had made Summer very edgy. Sleeping in the straight backed chair had not been comfortable by any means and so she was not rested in the slightest. Her guard had changed out again so he looked considerably refreshed, a fact she resented and in direct contrast to her. Dark circles and a sharp tongue were all she had to show for her night of attempted sleep.<p>

Neither was she even remotely sure about the safety of her friends. She had no elemental power to exert herself but that didn't mean she couldn't feel it when it was being used otherwise. There had been several fluctuations in power during the afternoon and into the evening, or as best she could tell for times at any rate. Too much fire, shadow and earth… With that bitch Hana around, none of her friends would have been given reign to use their power that much. That left only Enrhyll which was not a comforting thought…

Just thinking about it tore her nerves to pieces. It didn't matter that she knew he didn't wish to kill them, but his threat from the other day echoed all too clear in her mind. With his ability to heal too, he could cause a great deal of harm indeed. She had seen some of the injuries they'd sustained on their journey here and those had been bad enough… It did not bear thinking about to imagine what he could do on his own.

Her musings were distracted by the door opening before her. "Summer," Enrhyll stated perfunctorily as he stepped inside with Hana following along meekly in his wake.

"Enrhyll," she greeted flatly, her expression as neutral as she could make it.

"Do you believe now?" he asked her smoothly with a raised brow, his features smug and knowing.

The neutralizer took a moment to let that question roll over in her mind. No, she absolutely did not believe, but telling him that wasn't going to do her any good and would likely get her trapped in this room longer. If not worse really. "I'm not sure," she admitted instead. "Will you show me why I should believe again?" He had threatened to make the others believe; had he succeeded?

Enrhyll smiled at her question. It was a beautiful smile, just as he himself was, but it was empty of emotion. "Perhaps," he murmured. It might be a good time to test her anyway. Yes. He wanted to see those fools from last night. He would worry about Kyuhyun and Eleanara later on today. There was plenty of time to see them and considering their condition from his persuasion, the extra time would probably do them good. "Follow me," he instructed with a nod at the guard.

Immediately, he snapped to attention and cut Summer free from the chair. Being suddenly unbound was painful as the blood rushed back to numb limbs, plaguing her with a throbbing ache where she had felt nothing before. She stifled a groan and willed her body to work. It was not easy to walk on partially responsive feet but she managed it and sent Hana a nasty glare when the other woman sneered at her where Enrhyll could not see.

When Enrhyll turned around, the sneer vanished as if it had never been and Summer was left to hobble along behind them, followed in turn by her guard. Her hands itched to attack the monster in front of her but she did not have her sais or even the amulet she had worn until her capture. She was only glad she was still in her own clothes and had not been forced to wear something like what he had on… It looked like it would be too cumbersome by far.

She was guided through the halls of the guest rooms to the throne room. Immediately, Enrhyll took a seat in the throne at the top of the raised dais and Hana took the spot to his right. "You will be here," Enrhyll pointed aloofly to his left side and waited for Summer to hesitantly make her way to that spot.

It felt distinctly odd to be anywhere near him and not trying to fight him. Summer kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, noticing that he did not seem to pay attention to her now that she was here. Did he think her incapable or was he just that sure of himself? More than ever, she wanted to do something but she reined herself in with an effort. He had brought her here for a reason and she needed to see what it was first.

"Kwan," Enrhyll barked once, looking around in a bored fashion for the captain who was always at hand. When a moment passed without the man arriving, Enrhyll's expression turned cross and he stated again, "Kwan!"

"My lord?" Captain Kwan asked as he entered from the front of the throne room. He looked more haggard than usual and he was incredibly weary. His usual appearance was a bit disheveled and it appeared as if he had not taken care of himself the night before as was his usual wont.

Enrhyll sniffed at his general appearance and then murmured, "Where were you?"

"My apologies, my lord. I was checking on your guests," Kwan bowed deeply, keeping his eyes lowered.

For a moment, Enrhyll weighed his answer and then a slow smile spread across his face. "Good. Bring them to me."

Kwan flinched at the command and took a breath before he stood up and saluted sharply. "Yes, my lord." The young men were in no condition to move immediately but he did not have a choice in the matter. He did not miss Summer's hopeful expression as she knew who he was talking about. She did not see his pity; they were not as well as she would have hoped for. As stately as he could, Kwan removed his person and headed back to the guest rooms, his hands balled into fists.

* * *

><p>Though he slept in a bed, Siwon did not sleep well after his forced unconsciousness wore off. He had survived his failed attempt to kill Enrhyll yesterday but he felt as if it might have been better if he hadn't. Aside from being dangerously weak, the blood loss making it hard to think and focus, everything hurt. He didn't think anything had actually been crushed but it certainly felt otherwise.<p>

Breathing hurt and even attempting to move reminded him far too much of his time spent with Eun Mi when she had first rescued him. There were none of her herbal teas or salves to help keep the pain at bay or enhance his healing. Even turning his head to the side to look at his guard was an effort that hurt him.

When a woozy looking Leeteuk was led in by Kwan, he didn't think much of it initially, until they were followed in turn by additional guards. Weakly, he attempted to push himself up to see better, but as he placed his weight on his wounded arm, the limb gave out entirely and he slumped back, eyes closed tightly as he swallowed the pain. He became aware of someone leaning against his bed and then felt a hand slide into his right one reassuringly. Siwon cracked one eye and forced a smile as he saw Leeteuk nearby.

"Hey, Siwon," the elder of the two smiled as he swayed slightly while seated on the edge of the bed. He was definitely having a hard time focusing and he could only imagine it was from that damnable head wound that throbbed with every beat of his heart. It was a dreadful sensation really.

"What took you so long, Teuk?" Siwon murmured in an attempt at levity.

"Sorry. I was a bit held up," he answered honestly with a glance at Kwan who was peering at Siwon's bloody wraps. The tourniquet had held for the most part but the bed on his left side was fairly soaked with red regardless. The captain pursed his lips and shook his head slightly. Leeteuk leaned in closer to Siwon and spoke quietly, "Looks like we're up again. You ready?" he asked, as he started to reach his left hand behind Siwon's shoulders.

The water elementalist groaned and his hand tightened on Leeteuk's, but he allowed himself to be raised up. He grimaced when Kwan moved closer to assist him too. "Come on, lads," he urged reluctantly. Enrhyll was not a patient man…

"We're coming…" Leeteuk muttered with a cross look at Kwan. He jerked reflexively as his balance shifted slightly and Siwon helped steady him for the few seconds it took to catch himself.

While they would have preferred to help each other, neither was in much condition to do so. Two guards took Siwon's arms over their shoulders and carried him between them, dragging him when his feet refused to walk fast enough to keep up. Kwan kept a steadying hand on Leeteuk to make sure that he didn't falter. With the pair suffering from a mild concussion and blood loss, respectively, as well as fatigue and lack of food, the journey to the throne room took on a fairly surreal feel. It almost felt as if they would wake up from the bad dream they'd stepped into at any moment and be somewhere else…anywhere else really.

When Summer watched the small procession come into the throne room, she hardly dared to believe her eyes. Her hand came to her mouth of its own accord and she stared in horror. Both looked completely out of it and Siwon was ghostly pale… He had a blood soaked wrap on his left arm and they appeared ready to fall down at any moment. Before she was aware herself, Summer bolted down the steps and came right up to the pair, looking them over worriedly, touching their faces in concern and struggling with her emotions. "Gods above," she murmured when Leeteuk held to her hands as Kwan stepped back to assist Siwon to the ground. It was easier than standing.

Behind her, she heard, "Are you ready to admit you were wrong?" Enrhyll smiled smoothly at the three and his gaze lingered on Siwon with definite interest. His eye twitched when they failed to respond to his query. In agitation, he moved closer to the water elementalist, startling Summer into taking a step towards him. "Don't," he warned dangerously, his eyes flashing. The neutralizer pulled up short as Hana came to stand near her warningly, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of her dagger.

Enrhyll looked back at the water elementalist and reached down to grip his chin firmly in one hand. It was a measure of his lack of concern that the young man didn't try to pull away, but instead glared up at him with baleful eyes. "You don't get to die yet," he murmured softly, healing him enough to patch up the arm wound and repair the worst of the damage he had made him do yesterday. That taken care of, he brushed his hands off as if he'd touched something dirty and took a step back to appraise the three of them. "Summer. Hana," he commanded, calling the pair to his side.

Hana moved without question but Summer froze, looking between Siwon and Leeteuk desperately. She shook her head as she looked back at Enrhyll again. "Not if you're going to hurt them again," she muttered darkly.

"Of course not," Enrhyll scoffed in annoyance. "I'm going to persuade them is all," he smiled knowingly, a chilling expression. "What happens next is up to them."

The threat in his words was implicit and the elementalists did not miss it. Because he did not wish to kill them, they were not as afraid as they probably should have been. Not yet, anyway. They hadn't challenged him yet; made him feel fear for his life as they had the other day. The wounds they had inflicted were healed over, but the knowledge was there. Still slightly dizzy, Leeteuk gently pushed Summer aside and moved to stand protectively in front of Siwon. Intently, he forced himself to focus on the tyrant in front of him and he stated quite clearly, "We will defeat you."

A frown flashed across Enrhyll's face and he narrowed his eyes. "So it's going to be like that then?" His eye twitched again and he laughed once. "Very well." Completely confident, he turned and started to head back up the steps to his throne. "Perhaps I should have you spend some time in the dungeon," he suggested in an offhand manner. "I would imagine Kyuhyun and Eleanara could tell you all about that," he taunted at the same moment that he sat in his throne. He steepled his fingers in front of him and watched the anger and fear slide over their features erratically.

Leeteuk felt his heart hammer in his chest and he swallowed hard. "What have you done to them?" he demanded in a toneless voice as the stone around him started to tremble slightly. It was silenced almost immediately by Hana but at least she wore a focused expression at having to deal with it.

Enrhyll smiled, enjoying the hatred he saw in the earth elementalist's eyes. It was almost as good as fear. He would have taunted him further except he saw the doors to his throne room open again, admitting a new party that he had not been expecting. His brow creased and he waved at Leeteuk with his hand, causing a ripple of earth to unsettle him and send him stumbling to the floor, his equilibrium not good enough to compensate. "Calm down," he murmured as he stood up to watch them. That was Suk-Chul in front, the captain of the city guard.

"My lord," the stocky man in the front bowed quickly as he came to pause beside the collective group that was already present. His helmet was under his arm, showing that he had close cropped black hair and when he stood up to meet Enrhyll's gaze, his eyes were a hard brown.

The entire group fell silent as they were baffled by the appearance of him and the elementalists at least, were concerned by the presence of the minstrels and alarmed to see Eun Mi. Leeteuk still seemed conflicted between outright anger and confusion but he waited with bated breath as the others did too, one knee on the floor and the other half-way to standing. He had one hand resting on Siwon's shoulder, for support or assurance. "Why have you disturbed me, Suk-Chul?" Enrhyll demanded tightly.

Unphased, Suk-Chul nodded his head and explained, "My lord. We heard reports indicating that these individuals were seen in the company of a blonde youth and a young woman matching the age you had requested we search for. Not only that, but a construct was seen in their vicinity."

That got Enrhyll's attention. "A construct?" He had not kept any in the city. The rest were still roaming the countryside searching for the two elementalists that were…now…here? Intently, he focused on the trio that was surrounded by the small contingent of city guards, not sure if they were just cheeky or putting on a brave front. The two men certainly seemed unconcerned. But…he knew the woman and his eyes widened in surprise. Quickly, he strode down the stairs, the other elementalists briefly forgotten. "Eun Mi," he purred with a malicious grin as he stepped right up to the young woman who glared at him with open hatred. "So nice of you to visit, dear sister," he taunted sarcastically.

Eun Mi's jaw worked stiffly as she tried to think of something appropriate to say but words failed her. "Murderer!" she finally spat and reached to claw at him savagely, her bound hands making it awkward.

A cold burst of water caught her in the chest, tossing her back into the still reeling minstrels who grabbed her with their tied hands as best they could. "Stop that," Enrhyll sighed, sparing the minstrels a glance before disregarding them as insignificant. Instead, he rounded on Suk-Chul. "And where is this blonde youth?" he asked archly as he noticed the elementalists getting nervous. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard two voices call out to his right on the opposite side of the other elementalists.

"Enrhyll!"


	45. Chapter 45

All eyes turned to look at the two who had appeared out of shadow and were now staring at Enrhyll in outrage. Kharin and Eunhyuk stood side by side, so close their arms nearly touched, and they looked livid. The only reason they had not attacked immediately was because they saw their friends directly behind him and would not risk harming them with their elements.

For just a moment, Enrhyll froze as he realized he was surrounded by elementalists. Granted, two of them were nigh on useless just now but it was not a position he enjoyed being in. Feeling exposed, he whirled and attempted to accost Summer, expecting no resistance. As soon as he reached for the neutralizer, her training took over and she knocked his hand away smoothly in an effortless block. To his surprise and dismay, she followed up her defense with a solid punch that connected squarely against his jaw.

As he stumbled back, madness broke out around him. Kharin and Eunhyuk dashed towards him in tandem as the guards nearest Siwon and Leeteuk moved to subdue them. Part of the city patrol circled around the minstrels and Eun Mi while the others moved to intercept the two active elementalists, including Suk-Chul. In the resultant scramble, Kwan extricated himself from the disarray, rushed up the stairs and headed for the door at the back of the room, hoping not to be missed.

Summer pursued Enrhyll until he recovered enough to throw a myriad array of elements at her, forcing her to neutralize the attack rather than dive out of the way for fear of it reaching those behind her, which included the minstrels.

The staggering attack held her at bay and while Leeteuk and Siwon were able to send an initial volley at the handful around them, Hana quelled their power in the next moment. When the now standing earth elementalist was distracted by the other guards closing in around him and Siwon, she grabbed his hair and put her dagger to his throat. "Stop!" she cried, hauling him back forcefully and using his body as a shield between her and the other elementalists.

Leeteuk grimaced, feeling foolish and very upset while she wrenched his hair and the knife bit into his throat threateningly. As he was dragged back towards Enrhyll, he saw Kharin drop through the floor out of the corner of his eye and a fel wind pick up around Eunhyuk, making him unapproachable while Siwon was detained with some resistance. A tension filled calm pervaded the air around them as all sides remained at a standstill. Henry, Zhou Mi and Eun Mi all looked suitably nervous, detained as they were with Summer trembling directly in front of Enrhyll, anger boiling in her gaze.

Without him calling it, a slow wind started to pick up around Enrhyll, beginning to mirror Eunhyuk's power. His eye twitched and he appraised the current situation again. He now had all of the elementalists in his tenuous grasp. All he had to do was to gain the upper hand again, which of course he hadn't lost to begin with. He had merely been surprised by their appearance. That was all. The wind and shadow elementalist were decidedly sneaky and he did not like that. Wait… Where was the shadow elementalist?

Before he had time to figure it out, a hand reached up through the shadows at their feet and grabbed Leeteuk's ankle. With a startled cry, he was yanked down through the floor, the dagger marking a thin line along his neck as Hana struggled fiercely to keep hold of his hair. She growled in denial when she was not strong enough to keep her grip and uselessly stabbed at the solid ground he disappeared into.

With Leeteuk free, the other elementalists reacted fiercely. Thunder cracked angrily overhead as Siwon and Eunhyuk both called upon their elements. A font of water erupted around the water elementalist, soaking the guards holding him, as his face clouded over in concentration. Immediately, Eunhyuk blasted them with wind, the biting gusts freezing the water in seconds. Thus freed, Siwon tore himself out of their frozen grasps, shivering from the combined effects and stumbled forward, with water pooling around him, frothing to reflect his anger.

Enrhyll felt an answering call within him as tendrils of water began to sprout around him in rivulets. He would have been concerned save that he felt more powerful than ever with the wind and water and he grinned as he threw their elements back at them. Recovered from her fit of pique, Hana stood up and watched with admiration as he harnessed the power of the elements and threw them against those who would oppose him. Fiercely, she bent her will to negate the power that challenged his and frowned to find that she could not. She could only weaken it and that she did determinedly.

Summer found herself confronted by the same realization, which only worsened as Enrhyll employed additional elements to harass them. Flames flickered around the group hungrily and shadows lengthened unnaturally as the earth around them all began to tremble. Never before had she had to try and counter so many different forces and it was overwhelming.

The feeling lessened as Leeteuk and Kharin rejoined the fray, entrapping the city patrol's legs in stone and releasing Henry, Zhou Mi and Eun Mi before challenging Enrhyll's strength. The ground between the earth elementalist and Enrhyll bucked and heaved while Kharin sent wave after wave of shadow blades to come crashing up against his retaliatory volley and the barrier he had around him.

When their powers were employed, Enrhyll felt his strength grow again and he laughed for the incredible feel of it. The stones within him were resonating with the call of power, growing stronger in the aura provided by the elementalists as they used their power freely. With his euphoria, the earth shook harder and shadows began to rise from the ground, ghostly apparitions that were swept away in the fury of the icy wind he controlled.

As the neutralizers struggled to control the vast amount of power that clashed and swirled around them, frozen in place by the need to keep trying, the elementalists struggled to gain the upper hand. They could match him as they were now, but with fire threatening to consume them if Summer slipped, and light ensconcing him in a protective barrier, there was little more they could do.

The panicked guards that remained broke free from the earth and ice as best they could, enabled by the very ground beneath them beginning to roll and crack apart. Terrified by the power play around them, they fled, their former charges completely forgotten and their loyalty gone. Shaken by the elements before them, Eun Mi, Henry and Zhou Mi retreated to a safer distance and watched from afar, poised to act if the opportunity arose.

* * *

><p>Heedless of appearances or even trying to be subtle, Kwan sprinted through the halls, an action which gained him several odd looks from the guards periodically stationed throughout but none thought to stop him. Especially when they heard the howl of wind as it started to moan hungrily in the belly of the palace. The crack of thunder startled all of them and they felt its cry through the stone as the sound carried through the framework. When the ground started to tremble beneath them, they fled. Confronted with powers beyond their control, their fear gained the better of them.<p>

Why was the dungeon so far? The thought tumbled through Kwan's mind as his heart raced. This was the time. Now was when he had to act and he knew it; just as long as the elementalists could hold out until he could reunite them. As he approached the dungeon, there were still two guards at the door. They appeared nervous since they had only just started to feel the effects, but they were older veterans of fighting; generally unflappable and stationed where they usually didn't have to worry about much of anything anymore.

"Captain?" the first asked as he raised a brow when he saw Kwan come to a quick stop. They were experienced enough to know his behavior was unusual given the circumstances and they were suspicious.

For a moment, Kwan debated about trying to be diplomatic or not. In the end, he was in no mood to be patient and his hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword. "I am here to retrieve the elementalists. I suggest you move."

The pair eyed his hand on the sword hilt and the other guard volunteered, "You know we cannot." Slowly, the pair pulled their swords out and readied themselves.

Kwan frowned and nodded once. He knew well enough that none of the guard particularly cared for Enrhyll so it was not his order that was keeping them here, willing to fight him; it was their own stubborn pride and clinging to the honor of maintaining their post. In this instance, he did not agree with it, but he understood it. "Very well," he conceded, drawing his sword and charging the pair.

They moved to meet him in a flurry of swords. Their exchange was quick, with the clash of metal ringing out continuously for but a few seconds before one of the guards was forcibly disarmed and the other was held at sword point, the tip of Kwan's sword resting just in front of his throat. It was little more than a token resistance and while anger warred with resignation in his eyes for a few seconds more, his shoulders fell and he dropped the sword. It clattered to the ground loudly and then rattled after it had settled for the tremors that shook through the palace.

"Go home," Kwan murmured softly as he sheathed his sword and placed his hand against the wall to steady himself against the inconsistent tremors that troubled the floors. "It ends today. One way or the other," he promised as he walked past them.

They didn't try to stop him when he opened the wooden door or even look back as it closed quietly behind him. The pair picked themselves up, brushed off the front of their leather armor tunics and glanced at the swords shaking on the floor. It was time to go. They were done.

With new urgency, Kwan threw himself down the stairs and into the dimly lit dungeon. He had avoided coming down here since he did not wish to see what had happened to them or be reminded of his inaction that day. As he retrieved the keys from the closed container in the side office at the front of the stairs, he muttered, "Time to go." A particularly loud crack of thunder echoed above the castle and he winced.

"What's happening?" Eleanara asked with a glance at Kyuhyun who was silently glaring at the Captain.

"Your friends are here. They're fighting Enrhyll now and you are needed," he explained breathlessly as his hands shook while he tried to open Eleanara's cell door. When he fumbled again, he growled in frustration and used his sword to break the lock on the door instead. He didn't dare try that trick on the cuffs and he focused intently on his task as opposed to Eleanara. She looked horrible, covered in blood and lacking any shirt to speak of. He felt guilty enough without having to confirm her condition by looking at her.

"Hurry, Kwan," she urged as she stared up at his hands, her heart beating madly in her chest. Another crack of thunder echoed overhead and the cells rattled from a tremor that finally reached them so that they could feel the vibration through their bare feet. Finally, the lock came undone and Eleanara stumbled forward. When Kwan reached to catch her, she stiffened and pushed herself away with a harsh, "No!" Protectively, she gripped her arms with her hands to cover as much of her torso as possible.

Kwan flinched but didn't try to pursue her. "Sorry," he murmured instead as he immediately shed his leather armor and handed it off to her. She took it hesitatingly before Kwan was heading for Kyuhyun's cell, opening the door in the same manner that he had for her. He flinched when he was forced to see the horrible wound that the elementalist now carried and the arm still hanging next to him. It was easy to see the checked anger and resentment that smoldered in his eyes as he reached up to take care of the lock.

Another shudder of the earth had him pressing Kyuhyun against the wall with one hand to brace him supportively. "You're too slow," the elementalist muttered darkly as he met Kwan's gaze for a moment.

Kwan nodded and resumed is efforts, fairing a bit better this time. Kyuhyun slumped off the wall and this time Kwan had to catch him. The younger man growled at the assistance but his balance was considerably off with the loss of his arm so he allowed it, for now. "Kyu!" Eleanara rushed in to support him, overly large tunic cinched as much as she could. It still looked comedic on her like when Siwon had offered her his shirt. Quickly, she shoved Kwan out of the way determinedly and took Kyuhyun's good arm over her shoulder, bracing him with her other arm around his back.

"Let's go," he looked down at her with a troubled expression and she nodded in agreement, tightening her hand on his arm. "Him too," Kyuhyun commanded with a nod at Hangeng who had his mouth open as if to say something.

He had planned on it already but Kwan broke open the prisoner's cell with his sword and stepped back, letting the young man scamper out to join the other two. While they made their slower path up the stairs, he brushed around them. "Follow me," he directed neutrally. Likely, they could have found the throne room without his assistance but they would have wasted precious time.

Determinedly, the trio followed in his wake, expressions tense and worried. The occasional tremor unsettled all of them and Eleanara found it difficult to steady Kyuhyun at those times but the sturdier Hangeng stationed himself on the other side, flinching at the missing limb but reaching out to assist him when necessary.

When they approached the throne room, the sounds of the elements was considerably louder. Wind howled and blew against them before they reached the room while the earth shook and a massive storm overhead thundered angrily. Unsteadily, they made their way into the throne room from the back and were greeted by the sight of Enrhyll standing alone on the dais, the throne gone. He stood in a blur of colors as all six elements answered to his call and shadows continued to rise. Enrhyll was still ensconced in his protective barrier while all around him the earth had cracked and was now covered over with ice.

From where they were, they could not see their friends but they could tell they were there by the way the elements rose up to challenge Enrhyll's power. Several pillars had fallen and the walls had lost all of their decorations, lined with cracks that rose up to the ceiling as the structure weakened under the continuous onslaught.

"Come on Kyu," Eleanara breathed firmly as they took their first tentative steps towards him. She was aware that Hangeng melted back with Kwan as they sought a more protected space in which to seek refuge. Both seemed disinclined to abandon the two or the others for that matter.

The only response Eleanara got from Kyuhyun was a growl and when she looked up to see his face, there was nothing but anger there. She put a barrier up around them to cut down on the effect of the elements and they moved forward as Kyuhyun sent a pillar of flame spiraling towards Enrhyll.

The power of flame flared inside Enrhyll and he crowed when he looked back to see the creature of fire spiraling towards him. It crashed into the barrier around him and clawed at it hungrily before the maelstrom around him absorbed it. With all six elements present, the stones of power resonated within him, absorbing the power and feeding him greater strength. "More, more, more!" he laughed hysterically. Now he was truly a god. His power was insurmountable. The stone platform he stood on shattered further into a myriad of cracks and he swirled the combined power of the elements around him in a blinding vortex that was impossible to see through. Slowly, he pushed it outwards and it consumed everything it touched.

He would destroy everything! If they would not love him or fear him, then everything would burn! His laughter rang out again, euphoric.

On the outside of the vortex, Hana was forced to alter her attention as the moving wall came closer to her too, heedless of her presence. "My lord!" she called at once, concerned that he did not see her. "Enrhyll!" she cried again as he did not respond and the vortex simply grew. Dumbfounded, she stopped her resistance against the elementalists and watched the vortex in mounting horror.

The elementalists renewed their efforts to counter his power, feeling their own abilities grow stronger, even as Enrhyll did. Summer struggled with taming the power that only seemed to increase in strength no matter what she tried to diffuse it otherwise. When faced with such strength, there was little she could do.

Steadily, Eleanara made her way forward with Kyuhyun, the barrier holding against the outermost edge of the vortex with some difficulty. She closed her eyes to focus and relied on him to lead them forward, slipping on the scoured stone, but at least the ice that had littered it before was melted away. The wall was large enough to completely engulf her barrier, blinding them entirely until they made the other side.

When they broke free of the wall of the vortex, Eleanara sagged to her knees, exhausted by the effort and her own deprived condition. Kyuhyun paused just long enough to look at Enrhyll in the space between them as he swayed gently where he stood, the calm in the middle eerie in comparison to its force beyond. The tyrant was oblivious they had made it through and Kyuhyun rumbled. Swiftly, he closed the distance between them. "Enrhyll!" he growled as he gripped his gold necklace with his one hand and forced him to meet his gaze.

"Kyu! Wait!" Eleanara yelled as she staggered up after him, considerably slower than her taller companion.

Belatedly, Enrhyll realized he was no longer alone and he focused power hazy eyes on Kyuhyun. "You…" he murmured in delayed recognition.

"You're not afraid of fire are you?" Kyuhyun asked with a devilish grin before a circle of fire flared to life around them, rising up and up until it almost reached the ceiling before it turned inward and fell back on the pair in the center.

"NO!" Eleanara shrieked in denial as she backpedaled from the severe heat that reached through her barrier and threatened to catch her on fire too.

The screams of Enrhyll and Kyuhyun were short lived as the fire consumed them in an instant, white hot and hungry. Instantly, the vortex Enrhyll had created died and everything fell silent as the elementalists let their power fade in mute astonishment. Eleanara fell to her knees as blinding pain shot through her head, her memories restored in a deluge of thought that hurt.

The five at the bottom of the stairs stared up at where Enrhyll had been, confused and understandably alarmed as all they could see were a set of six floating stones of their corresponding colors. "Kyu?" Summer asked quietly, taking a tentative step towards the dais where she knew that he had been. Her question was echoed in quiet murmurs from the others as they looked around with a lack of understanding. Kharin and Eunhyuk drifted towards each other, allowing their fingers to intertwine as they sought to understand what had just come to pass.

Siwon looked around in general confusion and spotted Henry, Zhou Mi and Eun Mi tentatively coming out from behind one of the fallen pillars that had crashed in front of them. He mustered up a smile for them, but it was just an act. There was little warmth there as he understood that they had lost Kyuhyun… Very subdued, he limped over to Summer and enfolded the shocked neutralizer into his arms, cupping her head against his chest as she allowed the action, unresisting and eyes full of unshed tears.

"Eleanara…" Leeteuk breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw her alive at the top of the stairs. He could tell she wasn't well and the sight of so much red on her alarmed him, but she was alive. Hurriedly, he pushed himself up the stairs and immediately threw his still slightly woozy self down next to her, enfolding her in his arms protectively. "You're alive," he murmured into her hair as he tightened his hold reflexively. Just with coming into contact with her as openly receptive as she was, he felt himself heal as she subconsciously sought to fix him and the dizziness finally dispersed.

"I remember," she whispered shakily, all the memories that had been hidden from her revealed again. She was still reeling from the influx and then she realized it was Leeteuk that was holding her. Leeteuk…who she _had _been separated from for days and hadn't known if he was alive or not... "Leeteuk!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, too many emotions to even begin to sort out, shifting through her as everything aligned in her mind. "Kyuhyun…Kyu…he-" she started to say, to somehow explain but they were all startled in the next moment.

"Enrhyll!" Hana shrieked in denial as she finally found her voice and fell to her knees, staring at where he had just been. He was gone… It was impossible… There wasn't anything left at all…except… "Enrhyll…"

Serenely, the six stones floated in the air, each glowing with the power of a different element. Before the group could recover enough to take further stock of what had actually happened, the light stone pulsed into greater brilliance in the air. It was followed by the earth stone and then in sequence until they were all glowing brilliantly, at which point, the stones began to move of their own accord.

A flurry of elements started to come to life around them as stone rose up from the ground, shadow and light congealed into a solid mass, water floated on the arms of wind and fire burst into existence in brilliant red. For a few seconds, they folded around each other, separate entities that intertwined seamlessly. With a bad feeling, Leeteuk helped Eleanara to stand and started to move them back towards the others, catching sight of Kwan and another blond young man creeping out from where they had been hiding.

In the next moment, the elements came together impossibly fast, disappearing for a second before exploding outward. The amalgamation of unformed power continued to grow, filling the room with its shifting mass until it took form and a six headed dragon reared up. Aggressively, it flared its massive wings, knocking out the walls to the side as its heads reached up to crash through the ceiling, raining the framework down on the elementalists.

Kharin and Eunhyuk helped to wear some of the larger chunks down while Leeteuk could actually move the pieces in the air as they fell, but there was simply too much to handle. Siwon attempted to protect Summer as best he could but it wasn't until a shimmering barrier came into existence above them that they felt even remotely better. Eleanara's shield held as they continued to deflect as much as they could while the construct continued to rage.

When the worst of the debris had stopped falling, they could see a black sky flashing brilliant bolts of lightning across the clouds, the sun completely hidden by the cover. Awed and afraid the group looked up at the towering monster outlined perfectly by the backdrop of the foul weather as it howled and flailed its wings, the tail thrashing behind it in agitation. It constantly fluctuated in coloration, ranging from the white of light to the black of shadow and all the shades of the elements in between.

Given purpose by the final desires of he who had held the stones of power, they now mirrored his wish. "I am god!" it screeched, the sound terrible as it reverberated through the air with six different voices. "You will all die!"


	46. Chapter 46

The construct was massive and for a few seconds, the elementalists just stared up at it in terrified awe. How was one supposed to fight something that big? They had fought constructs before but this was something else entirely. It had not seemed to notice them just yet either; just thrashing about in misguided anger, each head flaring briefly the color of its specific element before blending into the myriad of other colors. Beyond the shattered walls, the group could see the city and they knew they couldn't let this thing out of here.

A quick scan around the area showed that the minstrels and Eun Mi had escaped the rain of debris and were staring at the construct in blatant terror. They hadn't expected anything like this either. Kwan and Hangeng were nowhere to be found and the six remaining elementalists had no time to wonder what had become of them.

As one, they looked at each other nervously, tremors shaking them softly as the monster shifted in place, the massive body grating over stone heavily. "So what are we going to do?" Kharin asked as she gripped to Eunhyuk's hand tightly. He squeezed her hand back in response and pursed his lips in thought.

They had unraveled and torn the other constructs apart when they had faced them before. This one was considerably larger but theoretically it should be possible in the same respect… While they were still debating how to take it out, Summer noticed Hana walking towards it slowly. She had no love of the woman at all, but she was clueless as to what she intended. "Hana?" she asked questionably, drawing the attention of the others as they all turned to watch her in morbid fascination.

The other neutralizer was fully focused on the monster towering above them, oblivious to the concern of the others. "Hey!" she cried hoarsely at the construct. "Hey!" It didn't seem to notice her at all. "Give him back!" she demanded heatedly, reaching out her power. "Bring…Enrhyll…back!" Angrily, Hana yanked at the power holding the construct together and when nothing at all happened, she renewed her efforts, feeling like she was pulling against a fortified wall.

The elementalists watched her in horror as she tore at the air, Summer at least recognizing that she was pulling at the threads of power that held it together. Her frustrated screams rent the air, overpowered by the sound of the construct when it roared, and she moved forward, attempting to tear it apart. At last, whether it was her proximity or that it actually felt her pathetic attempts, the six heads quieted and slowly looked down at the tiny woman at its feet.

"Gyah! Die! You monster! Give me Enrhyll back!" she cried again, oblivious to her peril.

The construct seemed to grin, each mouth pulling up into a fearsome teeth-baring smile, and simultaneously, the six heads darted at her. Hana's screams were abruptly cut short as the heads reared back up, the other five snapping nastily at the maw of the fire head, some succeeding in gaining an errant limb of the woman who had stood before it. When it roared its triumph, the elementalists were spotted by droplets of blood that fell through Eleanara's barrier effortlessly, sprinkling them with the red spray.

In the next moment, it was as if her death had lifted their veil of protection and the construct focused on the small group of elementalists in front of it. It knew them. It knew that they defied it because they had defied the one that it had been born from. "Die!" it shrieked, the collective chorus enough to hurt their ears.

As one, the group froze in place, paralyzed by the single minded focus in the monster's eyes. Eunhyuk jerked in surprise as he realized his construct was coming; he could feel it from behind them, flying as fast as it could. "I'll distract it!" he cried loudly, releasing Kharin's hand and sprinting back to catch up to his construct faster.

"Eunhyuk!" Kharin screamed as she watched him run, noticing in the same moment a wind construct streaming towards him. Effortlessly, he leaped for it and she held her breath as he caught hold of the tuft of hair that served as a mane near the base of the head, straddling the body with his legs tightly before it whisked him up and away. "No!" she cried in denial, feeling as if her heart would stop.

"Here! I'm here!" he yelled at the construct as he hurled a curtain of wind to catch the heads in the face. Impossibly fast, they whipped around and as one, snapped at him reflexively, though the wind head flinched first and then followed suit. "Ayah!" he cried in surprise as the serpent barrel rolled out of the way, avoiding disaster because the heads started to snap at each other, each wanting to be the one to claim the tiny creature.

Below, the elementalists pulled themselves together and Kharin balled her hands into fists. "Come on," she told herself firmly with a look at her hands. He had made the construct he now rode upon. She could too. Determinedly, she poured her will into what she wanted and almost immediately, a dark shadow wove into existence, shaping jerkily into what appeared to be a very large dog…wolf; a shadow version of the snow wolves they had fought.

As soon as it was formed, she sprinted for it and leapt to its back, grabbing the pseudo fur in her hands tightly as she clenched her legs around the body. "What are you waiting for?" she yelled back at the others before she directed the construct at the creature still attacking Eunhyuk. "Hey ugly!" she taunted, releasing her right hand to throw shadow blades at it. "Come and get me!" It had no legs to speak of but the body was remarkably steady and she raced around to the side of it, not foolish enough to stray directly into its path.

For a moment, the heads looked conflicted about which target to focus on before fire, water, shadow and wind peeled off in her direction. Water and fire bickered until the fire head relented and focused again upon Eunhyuk. While fire, light and earth snapped at the swiftly dodging serpent, the other three trailed after Kharin as she continued to pepper the body with shadow blades, tiny nicks appearing where she was able to mark it. As she headed around behind the creature, it became apparent that it was further divided about turning to follow her or continue focusing on the flying creature. The body swayed one direction before stopping with a jerk and then turning the other, the tail thrashing in agitation the entire time. Its wings it partially folded and then flared irregularly, the appendages apparently for show, though even a partial flap sent wind enough to be problematic to those in its path.

While the elementalists observed just that little bit of interaction briefly, they looked back at each other and nodded. Leeteuk released Eleanara reluctantly and let his eyes linger on her for just a second longer as she did the same, their fingers clasped until the contact was broken as they stepped apart. Determinedly, the pair reached out to focus on their own constructs while Siwon gave Summer a reassuring hug. "Be ready," he told her quietly, nervous that she couldn't conjure one of her own. She would be most open on the ground, but hopefully they would be able to keep it distracted enough.

"Be careful," Summer murmured bravely, though her bottom lip trembled. Her hands reached to her sides for sais that were no longer there and she focused on the task at hand. Once they wore it down enough, she might well be able to do what Hana had not. Fiercely, she clenched her hands and firmed her jaw before taking in the sight of the snapping, conflicted creature. For all that it was made up of the elements, it wasn't terribly good at cooperating. Good.

In the next moment, Eleanara was airborne on a horse-sized winged light dragon, nestled just in front of the wings and clinging on for dear life as she joined Eunhyuk in the air. Leeteuk clambered onto a brown regular sized horse, his hands buried firmly in the mane and galloped off after Kharin, veering in the opposite direction as he neared, staring up at the enormous creature nervously. Siwon took to the air on a considerably smaller water version of the ice construct they had first fought. And Summer…she watched them go with sorrow in her heart. It wasn't her turn just yet.

As the three flew through the air, the fire, light and earth heads paused to reconsider their targets. Power called to similar power and the light head snapped at Eleanara immediately. With a startled shriek, she dove out of the air, followed swiftly by the one head and then Siwon and Eunhyuk who rained down ice shards on their target determinedly, to little effect as the head didn't even flinch. The whole area lit up for just an instant as a flash of lightning struck the top of the building angrily, raining burning debris through the air. In the next second, thunder crashed overhead, the sound reverberating off the construct and what was left of the walls.

Too close to the source to see it, Summer was the only one to notice that the fire head stopped pursuing Eunhyuk and shied away from the flash of lightning as a small burst of orange light showed briefly in the middle of its forehead. She narrowed her eyes in thought, trying to figure the reaction out while the other heads continued to follow the elementalists. Shadow trailed determinedly after Kharin, attempting to pull the body around to follow as her construct leapt upon the creature's massive back and proceeded to sprint towards the top of it; the shadow head tried to go under its left wing and then around again but got stuck as it ran out of length in its neck. Light twisted after Eleanara as her construct flapped rapidly through the intertwining necks, missing being blindsided several times as if by luck and briefly tangling her pursuer with the shadow, water and wind heads.

As Siwon and Eunhyuk drew closer to the creature, following Eleanara, the wind and water heads slowed in their pursuit of Kharin and shifted their attention to follow their corresponding elements, disentangling themselves from light. Distracted by Eleanara's plight, they almost didn't see the other heads coming in until the feel of power rising directly next to them awoke them to their own peril and they split up, Eunhyuk rising higher and Siwon nose diving. The wind head snapped its jaws on empty air and the water head gained a taste of stone when Siwon pulled up short of the ground but the construct behind him did not.

It bought him just enough time to see Summer gesturing at him frantically, trying to get his attention with large arm motions. A glance over his shoulder showed that the head was still spitting stone out of its gaping maw so he flew towards Summer and rather than risk their safety by stopping, he slowed enough to grab her arm and pull her up behind him, where she clung to his to torso tightly. They kept low to the ground, but it was enough to allow her to give him the message. "The stones of power… I think they're located in the forehead," she shouted over the sound of the construct roaring and the wind tearing her words away.

Siwon looked over his shoulder at her and she pointed as another flash of lightning crashed into the tall building, distracting the fire head. Why fire and none of the others? As the lightning bolt faded from the sky, a spot in its forehead glowed brightly before diminishing and it recovered its nerve, joining wind in chasing Eunhyuk. The wheels in his head turned furiously as he tried to figure out the why. What was lightning? Their exposure to it was limited but in the monastery they had seen the odd tree blackened by its power. Wasn't it simply another form of fire?

"It's afraid of its element!" Siwon finally surmised, perplexed. Why would that be? When he noticed that the heads were following their elements specifically, he had to wonder at that too. He knew that they could feel their own element in use, especially when Enrhyll had sent the constructs. Was that how it was with this? Or was it something more…? He slowed enough to let Summer back off the construct and gripped her hand firmly, "Stay safe!"

Summer nodded assurance and released his grip reluctantly, veering off to the side and gasping when the water head refocused on the elementalist. "Siwon!" she cried in warning, running back as the head snapped in their direction.

Siwon felt his pulse quicken as he urged the water serpent to fly up towards the ominous sky. As the two danced beneath him and the other two passed by quickly in the air with the head in close pursuit, he focused on the heavy clouds full of water above them, pushing away the concern of the lightning still flashing through the sky. An endless arsenal was at his disposal and he grabbed at it firmly, shying away from a bolt that came dangerously close as it struck the wall and just inside, the feel of power humming in the air. Abruptly, he felt the head stop following him as it reached its limit and he paused, feeling the water in the clouds beginning to answer his call.

The power built and built in the cloud cover and when he was ready, Siwon yanked on the bevy of water present as it started to swirl in the clouds, the dark curtains twisting in the sky in turn. With no small amount of pride, he grinned as a water spout tunneled through the clouds and spiraled towards the water head at his direction. Surprisingly, as lightning flashed, small traces sparked through it, glints of power streaking through the fiercely flowing water. The spout undulated, seeking the creature that roared at him before ducking away from the swell of power that was coming to meet it, guided by Siwon's will. Around it, the others slowed as they noticed it visually and gave up on following the elementalists for the moment.

Perched on the water serpent as it floated in the air, tossed by the power of the pull of the spout and the angry currents of wind, Siwon fiercely guided the end at the fleeing head. As it ducked, the spout doubled back on itself to pursue it, aiming for the forehead. Futilely, the other five heads snapped at the twisting spire, a mouthful of water their only reward; though the fire head reared back in fear, traces of lightning jumping from the spout to its forehead, reaching and grasping.

The other elementalists and Summer watched the amazing display of water as Siwon slipped inside the swirling mass nervously, where the center was cold and windy but open. He dodged the various jaws that snapped at and through the walls and plummeted towards the now pinned head as it roared and writhed against the floor, feeling the sting of the lightning as it nipped at him through the water. With a bone jarring impact, the water construct crashed into the creature's forehead, throwing Siwon forward forcefully and almost off his creation entirely, and started to scratch at the surface, frantically tearing away chunks of it.

At last, the light that had been glowing under the skin broke free and the water stone of power was revealed. With an ear splitting shriek, the water head managed to slide out from under the spout, dislodging Siwon, his construct and the stone of power as all three were subsequently sucked up into the swirling winds. Bereft of its source of power, the water head reared up with the last vestiges of its strength as the eyes dulled and it crashed to the ground heavily while the spout continued to rage.

Summer stepped in now as she saw Siwon's danger. He was hard to see, but up and up he was drawn, the water construct tumbling after him in a disjointed attempt to catch him. The neutralizer reached and where she was unable to alter the power from earlier, this time it responded. Slowly, the water spout decreased speed and thinned out before she pushed hard one more time and the power dispelled entirely. For an instant, Siwon's body floated in the air as if he were flying, before he fell like a ragdoll from the sky.

"Siwon!" Eunhyuk and Eleanara cried in unison as they both streaked after him; the water serpent close behind. Eunhyuk caught up to him first, allowing Eleanara to veer off, and reached out to grasp one of Siwon's hands, nearly toppling off his construct at the sudden shift in weight when he caught him. The water elementalist was unconscious and while Eunhyuk held desperately to keep them both from falling the water construct wrapped around Siwon snugly. It took its creator's body, allowing Eunhyuk to let go, and floated them both to the ground. Once there, it collapsed with Siwon; still lightly coiled, both seemingly senseless as the inert stone of power rolled out of its lax jaw.

Unable to stand by any longer, Eun Mi slipped out of hiding with the minstrels and rushed to where Siwon had fallen, noting Summer's approach even as she closed the distance. "Siwon!" she cried, reaching the elementalist just after the neutralizer did.

"Get him out of here," Summer instructed Eun Mi with a glance at the following minstrels. He was in good enough hands for now and she did not have the luxury of being able to worry about him while the other four were still fighting. Determinedly, she focused her gaze back on the rest, aware only that Zhou Mi and Henry stepped in to help carry Siwon away from the combat, leaving the construct to lie where it had landed.

Kharin bounded out of the way on her construct when the shadow head returned to bite after her, teeth snagging on its own body as the wolf carried her to safety at the last second around the wing. She retaliated swiftly with a volley of shadow blades that cut several nicks against the head and tore into the fabric of the wing, but nothing solid. They just didn't do enough damage…

Leeteuk gripped tightly to the horse that he rode, constantly looking over his shoulder at the earth head that had resumed following him. It could only turn so far before snapping at him angrily when the rest of the body refused to follow, distracted by the elementalists. "Hah!" he whooped in brief triumph as the head reached under the wind one and jerked to a stop as it came around the side, snapping angrily. The tail lashed behind it, destroying more remnants of the castle walls, and the wings flapped briefly, whether from the earth head's desire or collectively, but the gust disrupted the flyers so that both Eunhyuk and Eleanara were tossed about on the wind.

Flying closer together now, the light and wind elementalists gripped tightly to their constructs as the buffet sent them tumbling through the sky, out of control. Eunhyuk summoned another gust of wind to send them spiraling upward and out of reach as he saw the heads following to snap at them. He breathed a sigh of relief when he managed to get them out of range and the pair looked down at what was happening to get a better idea of what to do next. While they floated above the top of the palace, Eleanara nervously pulled a barrier up around them, eyeing the flashing clouds with concern.

It was well founded as they shrieked when a bolt shot out from the sky, accompanied by an angry crack of thunder, and attacked the barrier she had pulled around them. Even through the shield, they felt power crackle around them and Eunhyuk jerked as the metallic sais reacted strongly to the powerful presence, tingling uncomfortably. Warily, they drifted closer to the construct and the palace but still maintained distance enough to be out of range, casting nervous glances back at the flashing sky occasionally.

Directly below them, the light, wind and now fire heads had taken to snapping at the pair while the earth head bit at Leeteuk ineffectively and Kharin continued to evade the shadow head whilst running on the creature's body. It appeared that she was trying to make her way up the body and to her element's head specifically, which had been curtailed slightly since it had wrapped itself around the left wing again, in the opposite direction this time. Summer watched them all from below, tense but ready while Eun Mi and the minstrels worried over Siwon off to the side. For just a moment, Eleanara was tempted to go down and help him herself, but a glimpse at the monster dissuaded her. She would merely draw its attention to them and if they didn't finish this thing off, then there was little point. Nor could she leave Eunhyuk unprotected in the air whilst this storm continued to rage.

"I've got an idea," Eunhyuk stated firmly over the sound of thunder and the frustrated roars. He glanced up at the lightning and then back at the fire head. He hadn't missed the correlation either and considering they had no way to counter fire directly, there had to be some way to draw the lightning to it. He didn't know how yet but he thought he at least had a plan for the wind head anyway and the beginnings of an idea for fire as his hands brushed the sais again. Nervously, he pat the wind construct and then looked at Eleanara. "You ready?" he asked with a brave smile.

Determinedly, Eleanara nodded as she threw her hair out of her face distractedly to see better. She waited to see what Eunhyuk would do before she tried to move. Personally, she was glad he had an idea about how to handle his element since she still had no clue for hers. The light elementalist watched as he raised his hand up and like Siwon had done, he pulled wind from the air as a vortex swirled into existence, growing larger when he poured more into it. It did not take long for them to feel the pull of the wind as it tried to suck them in too. She fought the pull until Eunhyuk waved at her.

"It's okay! Just follow me!" he encouraged, guiding the vortex at the now fleeing head. It had the same problem as the wind one though, since it could only move as far as its neck would allow. As before, the light and fire heads snapped at the offending element and Eunhyuk grinned. He had been counting on that. A flash of lighting arced through the vortex and the fire head reared back even as the wind head cried plaintively, firmly lodged in the power of the whirling winds.

Eunhyuk guided Eleanara into the wall of wind, throwing them through to the considerably calmer center, grateful immediately for the shield that helped kept the reaching arcs of lightning at bay. At the bottom, he could see, as Siwon had, the forehead ringed by the winds, providing a perfect target to aim for. Eleanara watched in confusion as Eunhyuk pat the construct encouragingly and then flung himself off, using currents of wind to keep himself floating. He was flying! Thus freed, the construct streaked for the forehead and crashed into the surface, tearing into it with its teeth.

At the same time, Eunhyuk spotted the fire head on the outside, rearing back from the vortex while the light head continued to snap at them both, centering on where Eleanara was located. He pointed at the fire head and retrieved his sais, grateful that she continued to follow him with that protective barrier. Forcefully, they broke through the wall of wind, leaving the stone of power to the construct, and headed for the fire head. Both the light and fire heads noticed them and started to snap at Eunhyuk in the lead while Eleanara ducked down, rolling in closer and then coming up under the fire head's neck, managing to buy them a few seconds of freedom from the light head. The wind elementalist darted up above the strike, his heart hammering in his chest as he dropped himself down towards fire, angling himself carefully.

With a determined cry, he threw himself onto the creature's head, stabbing the sais to either side of the center of its forehead. As Eleanara approached him, he felt the barrier slide back over his person before the head jerked up forcefully, dislodging him with the motion and tossing him into the air. Eunhyuk flailed and reached for Eleanara's light construct as it drew near, temporarily blinded when a huge flash of lightning filled the air, trailing down the vortex, reaching hungry tendrils to caress the barrier around the pair and then leaping to the snapping fire head. The strike centered on the two sais and the stone of power and immediately, its forehead exploded as the force became too much, flinging chunks of the construct, the sais and the stone free.

The massive wings convulsed as the fire head fell limp, followed quickly by the flailing wind head; its forehead gouged where Eunhyuk's construct had bitten through it. The resultant gust pressed everything in the air away, including the vortex, and Eleanara and Eunhyuk were separated. Below, Summer did her best to quell the savage power of the wind and watched as Eunhyuk tumbled limply through the air, Eleanara and the wind construct in pursuit. Unperturbed by the happenings, the light head followed after her swiftly. She gave a startled shriek as it chomped its jaws around her before she could escape, gnawing stubbornly at the barrier still in place. The wind serpent managed to catch Eunhyuk in midair, wrapping around him protectively before landing much less gracefully on the ground. As soon as they stopped moving, it went limp and lay still.

As before, Zhou Mi came out to retrieve the fallen man while Eun Mi and Henry remained in attendance on Siwon. She had gotten him breathing again, but he refused to wake up. The tall minstrel sprinted in and helped Summer to slide him from the coils of the construct before he picked him up and carried him away, his speed reduced for the weight. He cast a worried glance at the other three as they fought on, highly concerned for Eleanara in the creature's mouth.

Leeteuk and Kharin both noticed immediately what had happened and they moved in tandem, charging towards the light head that seemed oblivious to them. "Eleanara!" they cried, seeing that Eunhyuk was already being looked after. Aggravatingly, both were intercepted by the heads that had been chasing them and were forced to alter their attention. While Kharin backpedaled to buy room, Leeteuk stopped and allowed the head to come at him.

When it was close enough, he pulled a spire of earth through the stone and rammed it into the creature's mouth, counting on the momentum to do half the work. The end of the spire burst out the back of its head and it reared up, breaking the stalagmite from the ground. Ineffectively, it chewed at it, wearing away bits of stone with each bite until Leeteuk focused on the impaled object and altered the form again. Savagely, he pulled the spire apart, turning it into many smaller spears that subsequently exploded outward through the creature's head, taking large chunks with it, including a part of the forehead where the earth stone of power was located.

His attempt successful, Leeteuk smiled and made as it if to continue towards Eleanara but as the earth head fell and the eyes went dull, he felt himself fall into darkness. The horse pulled up jerkily as he slid off the creature, his body limp and unresponsive. A couple seconds later, it crumpled to the ground next to him, as motionless as the creature they had just defeated. Being on the far side of the construct, no one else saw him fall save Summer and she could not go to help him for the battle still waging on above her.

At the same time that Leeteuk was fighting the earth head, Kharin was glaring at her attacker face to face as it continued to follow her. An idea came to her then and she grinned, a feral expression, and taunted, "Come play with me." Instantly, she covered herself in darkness and fell through, watching with no small amount of glee as the head came through in turn, and was stuck, caught between both realms. The body on the other side thrashed and flailed, the actions determined by but two minds now and in the shadow realm, the head snapped at her furiously, the eyes glowing with a fierce determination.

"You will die," it rumbled in a tone that vibrated through her bones.

Kharin grinned in answer and with the construct she rode, launched to the creature's head. While it jerked and growled beneath her, she whispered, "Shadow swords." In a circle around them, swords made entirely of shadow rose up from the ground, impossibly long, and angled inwards to point at the shadow head. With a thought, the twelve blades spiraled inward, passing through each other when they would have clashed otherwise before biting deep into the shadow head, slicing through its flesh easily and carving out chunks enough to free the shadow stone of power. Immediately, the shadow wolf grasped the stone in its jaws as it was freed and they were all flung forcibly back to the normal realm as the head jerked free with a final defiant cry.

The wolf and Kharin bounced off the body and rolled down, the shadow construct able to recover enough to get under her before they hit the ground, breaking her fall somewhat, the stone still safely clenched in its mouth. As with the rest, upon stopping, both were still. This time, the still hiding Hangeng and Kwan hurried out to retrieve the fallen shadow elementalist. They were worried about her proximity to the thrashing monster still looming above them and they sprinted out to drag her back to relative safety, watching in wide eyed terror as Summer faced the last of the heads with Eleanara still inside.

Unaware of the happenings around her, Eleanara could only focus on keeping the barrier up. She had no fear of being eaten exactly since the tongue was only for show as there was no throat to be swallowed into, but it was certainly doing its best to crush her. The dragon she had been riding was currently standing over her, mantling its wings defensively as if it could somehow protect her from the danger they faced. In truth, it kept her stationary and not flung about the cavernous mouth as the head shook and dropped, shaking them around in an effort to dislodge them.

She was not a fighter by nature and her element reflected that very well, but she had one thing she could call upon…one ability she had read about but was reluctant to use for the very scale of it. In her book, she had read that Sungmin had called it only once and had regretted it… Fiercely, she steeled herself for what may come and reached to the light that burned bright far above them. "Celestial light," she spoke quietly, feeling the shield around her flicker briefly.

Summer felt it first, the building of power beyond her sight, above the black clouds that still flickered with lightning and rumbled with the sound of thunder. She raised her eyes up and watched in awe as a massive beam of light pierced the veil of shadow covering them, burning through the clouds effortlessly and zoning in on the single head that continued to thrash about. The beam was large enough that even with the light head flinching away, it was completely engulfed, as were the other fallen heads and part of the body. Summer and Leeteuk were just out of range but she could easily feel the searing heat that poured from it and she stepped back.

Around her, the world turned to light as the beam tore through the head of the construct and beat against the shield Eleanara still held in place. As the light stone of power fell free, the barrier around her weakened and it came to the construct she had summoned to protect her as it flung them both through the searing white light to burst into cool air on the other side. Smoking, it flapped unresponsive wings with Eleanara held close in its draconic arms before crashing to the ground, making sure to turn onto its back so as not to crush her but snapping its own wing in the process.

Again, Zhou Mi rushed over to retrieve her as Summer wrestled with the burning light. It was just like the other elements, when she started to work with it, just on a large scale and once she found the pattern, she unraveled it quickly. In the next instant, the heat died off and the light waned before blinking out of existence. Above them, the clouds started to dissipate as well as the storm abated and the sun finally appeared from behind the dark cover, shining brightly in the blue sky of day. The massive construct convulsed reflexively a few more times, the tail and wings dislodging more bricks and upsetting the remaining structure of the palace before lying still.

Summer could feel the latent power residing in the body, keeping it here…not allowing it to simply disappear. Tentatively, she reached out to unravel the power and was surprised with the ease in which it came undone. With but a touch upon the remaining framework to untie the first stitch, the rest of it unwound quickly as the body shimmered and then turned to crystalline dust that floated away, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.

With the body finally gone, Kwan saw Leeteuk's body lying on the other side, still resting next to his construct. Kharin had not been breathing when they had retrieved her and he worried for the earth elementalist that might be the case as well. While Hangeng remained by her side, Kwan sprinted to Leeteuk, clambering over the debris in the way and skirting the enormous black circle that painted the floor where the ray of light had been. As he suspected, the young man was not breathing either and what he had done for Kharin, he did for Leeteuk as well. Determinedly, he breathed life back into him, pressing on his lungs and heart through his chest until they worked again on their own.

Numb from everything that had happened in so short a time span, Summer stared blankly around, blinking slowly when her eyes demanded she do so. The creature was neutralized and the power that had fueled it banished, but she did not feel any power remaining. Alarmingly, she couldn't feel even the latent power she always felt in the elementalists. They had won…but at what cost? She saw Kwan carrying Leeteuk over in her general direction and noticed Hangeng doing the same with Kharin while a glance beside her showed Eun Mi and the minstrels attending to Siwon, Eunhyuk and Eleanara. A look from the young woman told her they were alive, but little else. And as she continued to look around, she could finally admit that Kyuhyun was gone… At last, she let the tears fall and crumpled to her knees.


	47. Chapter 47

In the resultant silence that followed the sounds of battle, it was easy to hear the sounds of Summer crying softly, her face buried in her hands. As Kwan stepped past her, he paused a moment to rest one hand upon her shoulder, careful to keep Leeteuk steadied over his own as he did so. She didn't look up or react in any way to his presence, wrapped firmly in her own bittersweet misery. He had no words to give her that she didn't already know herself so he murmured a quiet apology, wincing when she shrugged his hand off.

Kwan took a deep breath and focused instead on the remaining survivors. The other elementalists had made it out of the battle physically whole but none of them had woken from their unconsciousness yet and that concerned him. Eleanara appeared somewhat burned from her exposure to the light she had called and the others were battered, but at least they were all breathing. As Hangeng settled Kharin near the others, Kwan carefully laid Leeteuk out, glad when Zhou Mi hurried over to assist him in getting him to the ground without hitting his head on the floor.

Immediately, Eun Mi hurried over to inspect the newest arrivals, experienced hands checking basic vitals such as pulse, temperature and pupil dilation. Her face was tense with concentration but it wasn't overly apparent that she was concerned just yet, her mask still in place. She found it immensely strange that they had all stopped breathing when they had successfully defeated their element and was still trying to piece together the correlation to that. They had been able to resuscitate them, yes, but for all her efforts, she couldn't get them to wake up. All of their normal reflexes worked just fine when she tested them and it was highly unlikely that they had fallen into comas at the same time…

A quick look over Leeteuk and Kharin showed the same results she had seen in the others too. Quietly, she called back over her shoulder, "Still no change?"

Zhou Mi and Henry looked up from attending Siwon, Eunhyuk and Eleanara with tense, worried expressions and shook their heads. "Nothing," Zhou Mi murmured, his hand resting lightly on Eunhyuk's shoulder.

"Why won't they wake up?" Henry asked, looking uncertainly between Zhou Mi and Eun Mi. He was tugging at Eleanara's shirt, trying to smooth it out and make sure it covered her properly. The blood that still covered her was dark and crusted on, burned by the light. Part of the overly large shirt had been burned too so that it fit even worse but the front was still relatively whole.

"I don't know," Eun Mi sighed reluctantly as she sat back on her heels and looked up to see Summer still sitting where she had crumpled to her knees. She noticed the blond man approaching her hesitantly and paused to watch, one hand resting on Leeteuk and Kharin both.

Hangeng watched Summer with sad eyes. Carefully, he stepped closer and quietly asked, "Summer? Is you alright?"

A bitter laugh escaped her at the question but she didn't look up. "Go away," the neutralizer murmured from behind her hands.

The scout paused where he stood and then knelt down next to her before he tentatively reached out his hand and laid it gently on her arm. "Summer?"

She finally let her hands fall into her lap as she leaned over them and gently rocked forward and backward. It wasn't even that they had all lost Kyuhyun…but what sort of victory was this? How could she call this a win while the others would not wake and Kyuhyun was gone? "I-I-It's not fair," she finally stammered, looking over to meet Hangeng's gaze, her blue eyes filled with tears.

The scout couldn't argue with that. He looked around at the devastation their combat had wrought, noting the majority of the walls and ceiling missing from the throne room and nodded in agreement. There really wasn't much that he could say, and he knew it, but he persisted in shifting closer and pulling her into his embrace. He had nothing else to offer but that.

She resisted for a few seconds, not wanting the comfort…not wanting to feel better because it wasn't alright…but at the sorrow in Hangeng's eyes, she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. More tears spilled over her lashes, a veritable river she thought would never run dry, as she clung to the front of his shirt with both hands.

Uncertainly, Hangeng looked back at the others and they just nodded, sorrowful smiles etched on their faces, except for Eun Mi who still seemed confounded. While Henry and Zhou Mi remained in attendance on the elementalists and the healer continued to worry at the problem at hand, Kwan stepped up and moved to investigate the rubble. Certainly, there were odd pieces of decoration and remnants of furniture littered through the fallen stonework but most of it wasn't salvageable.

He had however, noticed one of Eunhyuk's sais sticking out of the still standing wall on the far side, the burnt weapon stark against the gray walls where the sun spilled inside and outlined everything of color, the fair weather seeming to taunt them in their sorrow. Carefully, he made his way to it, stepping over smaller pieces of debris and climbing over the rest, pausing at one point to stare down at what had to be a stone of power. The marble sized object was resting next to a larger piece of rubble, distinct and noticeable only because of its perfectly round appearance since the glow of color was gone. On impulse, he picked it up and carried it with him as he retrieved the sai from the wall, yanking hard to pull it free.

He was surprised when he heard someone coming from the main hall, footsteps fading in and out intermittently as whoever it was ran on carpet and then stone. "Eun Mi!" the masculine voice called, the sound echoing faintly in the open corridor. "Eun Mi!" he tried again, a bit louder this time.

"Yong-Soo?" the healer asked in confusion, stiffly standing up and moving to the open doorway, the wooden panels torn free from their hinges and lying off to the side, splintered and broken.

The tall young man quickly padded up the relatively whole hallway, a couple pillars cracked and broken but the rest still standing. He had his bow held ready in his hand with a quiver of arrows rattling on his back, and he was looking around worriedly, a frown on his face. When he saw his cousin step into the doorway, he breathed a huge sigh of relief and grinned broadly. "Eun Mi!" he called loudly and ran right into her, picking her up into an enthusiastic hug and holding her tight as he swung her around, her feet dangling just above the floor. "Thank the elements," he breathed as he set her down, carefully holding her at arm's length and examining her in concern.

"What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously, her eyes wide in amazement as she gripped his forearms lightly with her hands.

"Looking for you guys," he laughed, the sound dying on his lips as he looked around to see the results of their battle. He knew that part of the palace had been destroyed but he was surprised by just how much had fallen and when he noticed the five unconscious bodies of the elementalists, he was further confounded. "What…?" he started to ask before a soft orange light caught his eye, the color out of place with the endless gray of the stone. In confusion, he turned his cousin to see what he was seeing and she gasped.

Amidst the rubble at the top of the stairs, off near the ruined wall on the side furthest from them, a glow that resembled fire filtered through the pieces that lay atop it. In the next instant, a pillar of fire sprang into existence at the spot, incinerating the debris to ash and flaring up into the figure of a fire bird. It rose up and up, towering above them as it opened magnificent wings of flame. When it opened its beak, instead of a roar, a very human scream erupted from it.

As the others stared, the fire bird disappeared in the blink of an eye and a naked young man fell to his hands and knees, tendrils of his dark brown hair obscuring his face. His breath rasped in and out as he gasped for air, lungs aching in the rapid temperature change. An ugly scar showed prominently all the way around his left shoulder and the stunned spectators gasped at the impossible realization.

He hadn't even sat back on his heels yet before Summer had pushed away from Hangeng and was running up the stairs towards him. "Kyu!" she cried, the sound full of disbelief and hope as it echoed off the walls and debris.

Shivering in the cool air, Kyuhyun pulled himself up into a sitting position and folded his arms around him as his senses returned slowly; as if he were experiencing everything through a thick fog. The sound of his name drew his gaze upwards and the fire elementalist grinned to see the neutralizer sprinting for him, tear streaked face impossibly beautiful in that moment as his eyes focused with some difficulty. "Summer," he croaked before she had reached him, throwing herself down just in front of him with a multitude of emotions flashing across her face.

Summer hesitated for but a second, unsure if he would disappear at the merest touch, before she hugged him to her, feeling him shivering and listening to his teeth chatter as he spoke her name again. "You're alive…" she whispered breathlessly, not even sure how it was possible but knowing it to be true. She threaded her fingers through his soft hair, felt the smooth, still warm skin of his bare back with her other hand and took in the scent of him, noting he smelled vaguely reminiscent of a camp fire… "But how?" she asked, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes, wonderment sparkling therein.

One of his usual smirks made its way to his face and he chattered, "Ph-phoenix f-f-fire." He couldn't believe how cliché the name Heechul had termed for it was, especially as he hadn't mentioned anything about trying it himself, but he couldn't argue that it was appropriate. Nor did he know, at the time, if it was going to work, but considering he was alive now…it must have.

Dumbfounded by his appearance, the spectators came to their senses a bit slower than Summer had. The closest to the pair, Kwan and Hangeng started to move until the stone came to life in the former's hand and he stopped in surprise, looking down at it in astonishment. The light pulsed a gentle blue color and directly next to the spot that he had retrieved the stone from, the debris shifted and fell away as Siwon's water serpent crawled from under the rubble, looking around as if dazed.

Around the area, other colors began to light up in turn. A soft green rose up in front of Eunhyuk's wind serpent, the stone still close to its body. At the top of the stairs, earth, light and shadow all lit up spaces around the room from where they had landed having been tossed free. Slowly, the earthen horse, shadow wolf and light dragon, its wing now healed, stirred from where they lay, looking around in confusion as the water serpent had. Determinedly, the creatures stood up, to the general confusion and amazement of those watching, and immediately went about locating the stones of power of their element.

As the water serpent approached Kwan, he dropped the stone and backed away hurriedly, the sai still clutched in his other hand, forgotten. Unperturbed, the construct retrieved the stone from where it had fallen, carrying it gently in its mouth, and flew quickly to where Siwon lay. Eunhyuk's wind serpent was not far behind and when the constructs placed the glowing stones on their chest, the light flared up, brilliant and blinding, before both the source and the illumination were absorbed into their bodies. Siwon glowed a dim blue and Eunhyuk a pale green, but still they did not stir as their constructs floated above them protectively.

The other three constructs followed the glow of their elements, digging and pawing through the debris as necessary to get to the stone beneath. As each was retrieved, the construct placed it upon its creator's chest and the stone flared to life before being absorbed, where their body then took on the glow of their element. Protectively, each construct remained near at hand, patiently waiting as Henry and Zhou Mi edged away nervously and the rest looked on in wonderment. Eun Mi and Yong-Soo tentatively stepped closer, completely baffled by what was going on and they had been reading about and worshipping the elements their entire lives…

When the still conscious Kyuhyun started to glow, Summer looked at him in concern, but his expression was serene and relaxed, his eyes partially closed and he had stopped shivering. Whatever was going on, it wasn't hurting them. "Kyu?" she asked quietly, unsure what to do when he didn't respond. She felt power stirring all around her and she was concerned by the sheer magnitude of it, but then Eleanara's body flashed and pulsed once. When it pulsed again, she noticed that Leeteuk's body pulsed with it, a warm brown color. Each pulse woke a new color to join the ones before it: fire, water, wind and shadow until they were all pulsing, like a steady heartbeat, during which time any wounds they had suffered were healed over.

Eun Mi and Yong-Soo were beside themselves as they saw the elements work around them, holding to each other with white knuckled intensity. Each elementalist pulsed six more times and then the lights went out, the colors fading quickly. As soon as their bodies stopped glowing, the sleepers opened their eyes and took a deep breath, coming to consciousness as if waking from a particularly peaceful slumber, immediately aware of their respective constructs looming or floating above them. The constructs moved away quickly, giving their creators space to come to.

Henry and Zhou Mi gripped each other's hands as huge grins spread across their faces; this was going to make an amazing story. Hangeng and Kwan moved hesitantly towards the elementalists as they slowly sat up, seemingly unaware of the others for the moment. Eun Mi was quicker as she freed herself from Yong-Soo and rushed to check them over, her cousin following close behind. She stopped in front of Siwon first and tentatively grabbed his face in her hands, her eyes searching his countenance and then looking him up and down in amazement before back to his face. "You're alright?" she asked softly, feeling her heart flutter when he looked at her with his peaceful dark brown eyes.

"I'm alright," he told her with a reassuring smile, one dimple showing in his cheek as he reached up to cover one of her hands with his. "We're alright," his smile widened, filled with love and happiness, as he looked around at the others. When his gaze fell upon Kyuhyun and Summer, his eyes widened and he carefully pushed himself to his feet, pulling Eun Mi up with him. "Kyu," he breathed and started for the younger man, his hand still clasped around Eun Mi's and pulling her after him.

Still grinning like fools, Zhou Mi and Henry hurried to help Eunhyuk and Eleanara to stand while Kwan and Hangeng assisted Leeteuk and Kharin, looks of utter amazement plastered to their visages. Once standing and able to move on their own, Kharin and Eunhyuk intertwined their hands and moved towards Summer and Kyuhyun in turn, fighting tears unsuccessfully. Leeteuk wrapped his left arm around Eleanara's back and waist and grabbed her right hand in his before guiding her after the others, tears already falling from their eyes.

Summer assisted Kyuhyun in standing up, holding both arms tightly around his waist as the rest came to stand around him, joyous and excited. Those who were not elementalists lingered back, not wishing to intrude on this moment, though equally as happy. More tears were shed and hugs were given all around as they embraced each other and the new life they had been granted. Each was well aware that they had not been meant to survive the final battle, but when the power had been placed into them, they had been restored. That was due in no small part to the fact that Kyuhyun's return had essentially reset the stones, resurrecting the power in turn and restoring the balance of order between the elements once fire had been reborn.

The stones of power were no more and the power of the elements had become one with the elementalists so that never again could another obtain the power as Enrhyll had. It was a part of them now and always would be. Imbued with the new strength, the elementalists came to, filled with wonder at their own existence, but intensely happy; more so to find that Kyuhyun had been reborn and restored to his old self. Kwan disappeared to find suitable clothes for him and as the day remained sunny and clear, the small group shared what had transpired.

The others were allowed to join in the conversation but the elementalists remained close to each other, hands clasped or constantly touching another of their number; continuous reassurance that they were still alive and alright. Summer refused to let go of Kyuhyun and he didn't seem inclined to argue, just as glad for the contact that reassured him he had returned. Every now and then, he would glance down at his left arm, taking note of the scar and then smiling hesitantly before focusing on the group again.

Kyuhyun was understandably miffed at not having been present to defeat his own element. "So what did you do? Use a torch against it?" he scoffed in amusement.

"Lightning, actually," Leeteuk smiled, his eyes dancing. With his arm around Eleanara's waist, he felt her flinch slightly at the mention of it and gave her a gentle squeeze of assurance, earning him a warm smile as she looked up at him. She hadn't been too keen on thunderstorms before this and her experience with Eunhyuk while they had been airborne had done nothing to help. It was a wonder the wind elementalist wasn't more affected by it either.

At Kyuhyun's skeptical expression, Kwan offered the burnt sai he was still holding onto. He didn't say anything but a hesitant smile played at his lips as the fire elementalist met his gaze. Kyuhyun smirked finally, a satisfied expression, and though no words passed between them, he accepted the sai graciously enough. He didn't really like Kwan, but he wasn't so bad in the end.

When he shifted his attention to the weapon, his eyes widened and he looked up at Eunhyuk. "Hah!" he barked a laugh and shook his head ruefully. "You must have been addled in the head to play with lightning," he chuckled, no malice in his tone. Before Eunhyuk could get hurt or offended, he handed the sai to him and then clapped him on the shoulder firmly, surprising the older man. "Good job," he smiled, the expression genuine and proud.

Kharin grinned at his surprised look and then hugged him closer with her arm looped about his waist. "Of course he did a good job," she stated, garnering an appreciative drawing Eunhyuk's attention. "When does he not?" she added with a confident smile.

"Aish," Kyuhyun chuckled but pulled Summer closer as she shifted to accommodate him, a pleased and slightly shy smile on her face. Siwon grinned at the exchange and glanced down at the quiet Eun Mi, squeezing her hand in silent assurance.

As the conversation continued on, each shared what they had experienced or done. Eleanara ducked her head in moderate embarrassment when her Celestial light spell was remarked upon and Kyuhyun reached out to ruffle her hair; as if to say he knew she had it in her. Kharin was quite proud of her shadow sword technique in the shadow realm and stated as much with enthusiasm, rather ecstatic it had worked in the first place. Leeteuk's creativity was nodded at as innovative in turn and far more offensive than they would have initially imagined, given his leanings towards defensive abilities. And of course, the powerful vortex and water spout Eunhyuk and Siwon had called were marveled at again, the others stunned that they had controlled their abilities as well as they had. Then again, none of them had anything on Kyuhyun's resurrection and they all agreed that would probably be the high point for quite some time.

It was only after they had touched on their own roles when they started to notice a tentative group of former palace guards making their way back inside nervously. They had overcome their fears about what they had seen in the palace and were determined to discover the results. Most certainly, they had not expected to find a small group of persons including the elementalists and no sign of the former residential ruler at all. Even more nerve wracking was that the hall was still full of fairly large, formidable looking constructs that eyed them with intense eyes.

No longer content with their current placement, the elementalists and those with them opted to leave the palace, quite happy to be anywhere else, really. The constructs followed along beside and behind them, curiously defensive and on guard, snapping at the nearby guards in warning as they moved past them. The elementalists smiled at the action as they moved through the hall with Kyuhyun nestled safely in their midst, still holding tight to Summer and in this case, a protective Siwon who maintained an arm around his shoulder in turn.

Guards melted out of their way in open mouthed wonder and awe and when they made it to the outside, it got even worse. Part of the city still smoldered from where lightning had struck and set fire to numerous buildings but there were also throngs of people carrying armloads of items that may or may not have belonged to them. The guards they could see did what they could but they were vastly outnumbered and it appeared they had no clear direction since they didn't know what was going on either.

Upon seeing the elementalists and their entourage, many fled or fell to their knees in worship, to the dismay of the group. They certainly made an impressive sight, individual conditions notwithstanding, and it was a reaction they were not inclined to prefer. They did not want to be worshiped… Right now, they really just wanted a bath and food and nothing more to do with the palace or any reminder of what they had come to face. Nervously, they pressed close to each other as the people parted in front of them, offering no resistance as they passed through the streets, especially since the constructs treated them with the same attention they had treated the guards in the palace.

As they first started to get out of the palace, silence greeted them until they were free of the inner wall that separated the city and the palace itself. Once they made it to the crowds the cheers began to rise up all around them, exultant and celebratory. It was easy enough for them to discern who won, considering Enrhyll had yet to show his face to enforce order again. As the tension faded from them, that the elementalists would somehow become a new Enrhyll, the people rejoiced and the group was swept along by their enthusiasm.

They stopped at the Minstrel's Dance by choice where people almost fell over themselves to offer them seats, free food and as much as they cared to drink. Dong-Min offered the whole group lodging too but with a quick glance at each other, the elementalists shook their heads. Rather quickly, they had changed their minds about remaining in town any longer than they needed to and at Summer's suggestion, they decided to go to her home. They stayed long enough to get a change of clothes for Eleanara and Siwon in particular, wash off the worst of the grime and actually eat a meal, though none of it was done in silence and they had to fight for a moment of privacy in which to change. Those things accomplished, they were quite ready to head out.

The minstrels still had their cart with Lute and stated that they would follow along with their belongings and Hangeng agreed to join them since they still had Rider anyway. Yong-Soo explained that he would take Glory and return to Corley Port to advise Eun Mi's mother and the rest of the Order of the Elements what had transpired here. Surprisingly, Kwan maintained that he would remain here to see what he could do in rebuilding the palace and the rest of the city. As for the elementalists and their neutralizer…well they had their own means of transportation.

Once they managed to make their way back into the streets, sated for the first time in days, the elementalists grinned to see their constructs floating and standing guard defensively at the front door, keeping onlookers at bay. They hadn't even noticed, but it made them smile in gratitude. Considering that Summer, Kyuhyun and Eun Mi did not have constructs, or at least ones that wouldn't inadvertently harm their rider, and that Leeteuk and Kharin's were ground bound, they had to make a few changes. The shadow and earth constructs were altered to fly to match pace with the rest of the group with Leeteuk mirroring Eleanara's construct and Kharin mirroring Eunhyuk's. Eun Mi was able to ride with Siwon, while Summer rode with Kharin and Kyuhyun with Eunhyuk.

As one, the group bade their farewells and when the constructs lifted them up into the air, they could see the full extent of the destruction they had both caused and averted the worst of. The palace was virtually gutted since the front and the back still stood but most of the middle had been torn down. The city itself would need repairs in turn and a new ruler as well. For now, they could see that guards milled about with the general populous, helping to maintain order but they still had no clear directive otherwise. Before they pulled away too high, the group waved down at those who had helped them to come this far.

The minstrels were perched on the front of their cart, Lute standing placidly in her traces as she flicked her tail and swiveled her ears. Henry was waving enthusiastically and Zhou Mi gestured in a much statelier manner while Hangeng whistled loudly from the back of his horse and waved with both arms, unconcerned about his horse shifting nervously beneath him. Next to them, Kwan saluted the receding group respectfully, a content smile upon his face. Already on his way out, Yong-Soo held Glory by the reins and stopped to wave farewell, a broad grin on his visage.

Once they cleared the outer wall of the city, Eunhyuk summoned wind to assist them and speed their passage considerably. Directly powered by the elementalists and with the wind behind them, their constructs were significantly faster than any horse. As they flew, they aligned themselves much as they had during their travels with Eleanara and Leeteuk side by side in the front, constantly exchanging sidelong glances and smiling at each other. Siwon drifted in the middle with Eun Mi gripping tightly to his waist, one hand holding firmly to the mane of the water construct and the other placed reassuringly over her clasped hands. Directly behind him were the other two pairs, riding double who spent a great deal of time looking at each other in turn, drifting closer and then drifting apart on the currents of the wind.

Even when the sun had set, they were able to push on with some assistance from a brilliant light spell that clearly illuminated the party and the ground beneath them so spotting Silverberg Manor was not a concern. They made the large household well after sunset, weary and tired, but were met eagerly by the residents therein. Sang Kyu and Myung Hee were among the first to meet them while Amber, Autumn and Sage were quickly sent to alert the staff of their new arrivals. A handful of servants appeared as if out of nowhere to attend to the exhausted party, coaxing them to split up long enough for them all to take a bath at the same time in the four bathing rooms which held two large sized tubs apiece.

As they were attended to by the Silverberg household, the party felt safe and at ease for the first time since they had left the monastery. It did not mean that things were resolved entirely or that they were unaffected by what they had survived, but they at least would have a chance to figure things out. Blissfully clean, the entire group was quickly supplied with warm food and drink in the main lounge hall, attended personally by the heads of the household and their children who looked on in awe that they had returned, successful. Questions were kept to a minimum with some difficulty, especially on Sage's part, but he refrained admirably for the time being.

Though the whole group still sat as close as they could, the pairs remained in constant contact whether it was just their legs or their shoulders or actively leaning against one another, there wasn't a second in which any of them felt separated or alone. In fact, they all took great pleasure and amusement in helping to feed each other, giggling like school children when food inadvertently fell into their laps. The trays were completely empty when they finished, to their immense satisfaction.

When they eventually split up and lay down, fed, clean and dressed in fine, fitting clothes, they were at last able to truly relax. In the guest rooms, Kharin and Eunhyuk lay almost exactly like they had in the Minstrel's Dance with their heads nearly touching and their hands clasped together just under their chins. Still polite and just a little uncertain, Siwon and Eun Mi held hands as they faced each other, a bit more distance separating them. Craving the assurance of someone being there, Kyuhyun held Summer close, her back flush against his chest and his nose buried in her red hair smelling faintly of lavender from the soap. Eleanara curled as close as she could to Leeteuk, tucking her head under his chin while her hands held lightly to his shirt, his own arms wrapped possessively, protectively around her.

Reassured by the unshakeable presence of the other, they swiftly fell into sleep's embrace. A warm fire burned in each room, the gentle light helping to keep total darkness away. Tonight, they would rest and tomorrow, they would start anew…


	48. Chapter 48

In the months that followed their victory over Enrhyll and the massive construct that had arisen in his place, the elementalists, Summer and Eun Mi struggled to pick up the pieces. While their physical wounds had been healed by the power of the elements, it did nothing for their mental and emotional scars, though some were definitely more affected than others.

All of them were afflicted with varying degrees of separation anxiety after they had removed themselves to Silverberg manor, with both Eleanara and Kyuhyun showing some of the more severe symptoms if left alone for any period of time. Intermittently, they all suffered bouts of insomnia or nightmares, most of which did not last long and were generally soothed by an herbal tea or a kiss on the forehead and the assurance that it really was alright.

For weeks after they were free, Summer and Siwon had trouble in confined spaces and both experienced some difficulty sleeping in total darkness. Leeteuk battled bouts of depression where he blamed himself for not being able to do more to protect them all; an affliction which was a bit harder to treat. Alternately, he either needed sense knocked into him in spirited sparring sessions, usually prompted by Kharin or Siwon, or consoled repeatedly that he had done everything he could, a role that tended to fall to Eleanara and Eunhyuk.

Most distressing perhaps was an irrational fear in both Eleanara and Kyuhyun towards fire and shadow in specific circumstances. They were fine around small fires, such as candles, sconces or hearth fires, but anything larger induced nervousness or outright fear, depending on the situation. Likewise, the creation of a shadow construct or summoning a sphere of darkness was alright but any time they saw a shadow blade of any sort, it prompted a similar reaction. It was many weeks indeed before either of them was able to start making steps in the right direction, during which time they all felt the effects. Fear was an enemy they couldn't defeat on a whim and so it was something that had to be conquered, one painful step at a time.

It started with Eleanara as the healer in her saw the hurt their own fear caused the others, especially Kharin, and that drove her to act. Determined to heal it as best she could, she made the first steps in overcoming her phobia, working in tandem with both Kharin and Kyuhyun. Not to be outdone by the smallest of their group, the somewhat in denial, pride driven Kyuhyun followed suit. The weeks following were tense and difficult for the entire group and there were tears and arguments on more than one occasion. Fortunately, Silverberg manor was a spacious residence and there were plenty of places to go to get away when they needed the space. Even after several months, they were not fully recovered, but they were functional and from there, they could work on the rest of their concerns at their own pace, along with the rest of the group.

Despite the challenges they faced in recovering, the group maintained contact, at least tentatively, with the rest of the world via messengers. They met the rest of the Silverberg household very early on and, as Eunhyuk had predicted, Kharin did get along rather well with Kangin, even if they tended to throw each other around the training room. Zhou Mi, Henry and Hangeng all arrived at the manor within a few days and a large banquet was shared with the household and its guests. The minstrels livened everything up with song and dance and they revealed the handful of songs and tales they had completed about the adventure of the Elementalists and the Neutralizer. Their revelry lasted well into the wee hours of the morning and if they were a bit worse for wear the following day, no one complained too much about it.

A couple of weeks later, a messenger from Kwan was received bearing the amulets that had been taken from Summer, Eleanara, Kyuhyun, Siwon and Leeteuk, as well as three sais, two of which belonged to Summer and the other blackened, burnt and bent. Eunhyuk grinned when he picked it up, remembering quite clearly how it had ended up as it was now. Around the same time, Yong-Soo arrived in a cart pulled by Glory with a missive from Eun Mi's mother, requesting she check in personally since things had settled down after Enrhyll had been deposed. It had no time limit on it, so it wasn't something that the herbalist was eager to fulfill, but neither would she ignore it. A couple weeks later, Yong-Soo returned to Corley Port with a message to assure Eun Mi's mother she would in due time, but promised nothing further.

The message also reminded the elementalists that they should probably send word to Master Yoogin in the monastery to let him know what had happened in the time since they had been gone. They had much to tell and they all knew he would be interested to hear it, though they were hesitant to return to the monastery. Since they had no precedent to go by, they did not know if he would wish them to remain, hidden in the cloistered walls as they had been originally. Did he expect it from them? Would they be summoned to return to a life of anonymity?

Having tasted the outside world, they found it was something they didn't wish to give up so soon. Fortunately, in a matter of weeks, their fears were allayed when a letter from Yoogin, written in his elegant sprawling hand, arrived. In it, he expressed his congratulations for their having succeeded in what they had set out to do and was happy for them in their new lives. He expressed that the monastery would always be open to them if they should care to return but he did not expect it or request it.

Accompanied with the same messenger was another letter written in considerably blockier print from Marcus Frostbiter who was perturbed he had received no such letter as Yoogin. Shamelessly, he admitted that he had convinced the courier to fill him in on where the message had come from and then demanded he take one back to them in turn. His ears burning with chagrin, Leeteuk was the one to read the letter aloud to the others and they all laughed in fond remembrance at the words of the village chieftain. To their surprise, Marcus also mentioned that while they were still rebuilding Moorhall, they would come and visit when they were able…well as many as could come anyway.

As time went by they were kept up to date by the newly promoted Commander Kwan on the happenings in the capitol with the news that an heir from the previous royal family had been located and was being instated with all due haste. Young-Jae was a close cousin of the former ruler who had gone to live on the neighboring continent of Arcova with extended family. Having been the third son in his line, he had no prospects of ruling or inheriting much of anything at the time and so had gone to learn more diplomatic and mercantile pursuits on his own, thereby avoiding the slaughter that had found the rest of his family. Young-Jae was young but he had a bevy of advisors more than willing to assist him in fulfilling his new role.

While reconstruction was taking place with the capitol, the Silverbergs were helping to assist in locating a suitable area for the Elementalists to relocate to, as well as funding the cost of supplies and labor. Rightfully so, they would likely be recompensed for their expenses by the new ruler, but even had that not been a possibility, their favor had increased greatly with the fall of Enrhyll. Since the elementalists were not asking for any favors, the Silverbergs could request just about anything to assist them and the people scrambled to fulfill it as quickly as possible.

At Zhou Mi and Henry's suggestion, the elementalists were pointed in the direction of Fairmeadow, a small village town located in the southwestern part of the continent near the sea. It had been too small and out of the way for Enrhyll to be overly concerned about it when he set about conquering the nearby cities and it ended up being just what they were looking for. The people were awed by them, of course, but they had only stories and hearsay to go on and with them being as far removed from civilization as they were, visitors were few and far between. Construction of four houses was begun almost immediately, with the buildings located on the outermost edge of the village but still quite near each other.

As they waited for their own homes to be built, the days passed by in relative peace for the elementalists. After the chaos they had experienced since leaving the monastery, it was a welcome reprieve. They assisted in chores around the house and worked with Amber, Autumn and Sage on their lessons of just about everything. Henry and Zhou Mi stayed on longer than usual but eventually they recovered and rested enough to resume their usual circuit, leaving vocal lessons in Kyuhyun's capable, and less forgiving, hands. They promised to return soon though and there was a large celebration the night before they headed out.

The minstrels had not been gone long before the household received a very ornate invitation from the almost fully rebuilt palace in Lornhaldt. The entirety of Silverberg Manor and the guests therein were humbly invited to the celebratory ball to be held in one month's time, which equated to just over three weeks by the time they received the invitation. Immediately, the manor was in an uproar as the ladies of the household lamented that was certainly not enough time to get everything ready and the men sat back and watched in amusement.

Considering the Elementalists and the Neutralizer were to be the guests of honor, they couldn't really bow out of the invite and were both moderately excited and understandably discomfited about attending. It would be the first time returning to the place where the Elementalists had died, at least for a little while, and none were in a hurry to remember. Still… With much coaxing from the Silverberg household as a whole, the group was cajoled into attending and, seeing that they had nothing fit for a ball, it was another bill their hosts were quite pleased to foot. In the excitement of getting ready, Eunhyuk sent a wind construct to fly as fast as possible to Moorhall to give them the news should a messenger not reach them in time.

Myung Hee and Amber in particular appeared to be everywhere all the time as they took measurements, ordered fabric and accessories, and with Sang Kyu and Autumn, helped to coach their guests on how to behave at a ball. While they had originally thought that three weeks would be more than enough time to get ready, as the day approached, the elementalists began to understand why Myung Hee was so distressed by the notice. Dresses and suits had to be fit and refit, trimmed and adorned with all the extra embellishments until they were up to Myung Hee's standards, which were high indeed, and with all of the protocol they were expected to at least try to learn, there did not seem to be enough time in a day.

Fortunately, both Henry and Zhou Mi returned with a couple days to spare, having been alerted on the road by another messenger heading up the continent giving the good news and handing out invitations where appropriate. Being the practiced performers they were, it was easy enough to deflect some of Myung Hee's worry and give the guests just a bit of space to breathe before it was time for them to head out.

Leaving but a skeleton crew to man the house, the majority of the household were packed into several carriages and pulled by the dressage horses they owned and when they ran out of those fine creatures, the scouts' horses were enlisted. It was not often that they took out all four full-sized carriages that they owned so it wasn't expected to have dress horses for all of them. Granted, they had two teams of four which would be able to pull three of the carriages; four on one and two each on the other two, but they still had to bring in two more to pull the fourth carriage. Each carriage was topped with chests full of their garments and traveling gear; the number of which surprised the elementalists and had Myung Hee worried sick that they still hadn't brought enough.

The largest carriage, which seated eight, was given to the Elementalists; the Silverbergs and their servants took the two six person carriages and Hangeng, Kibum and Kangin were given the four person carriage to ride in. The minstrels brought up the rear, carrying those scouts who would not fit in with the rest of the carriages. They made quite a procession as they set out from the manor and took up the majority of the road, with the constructs that still followed their creators hanging around the outskirts, making travelers nervous when they saw them. No one had asked if they had kept them because they couldn't or wouldn't send them away, but they had become a familiar presence at the manor so back in the rest of the world, it was interesting to see what sort of reactions they prompted in others.

They collectively spent one night on the side of the road and another in a new town that had been promptly built to aid in the growth of the rebuilt city. Well, to be fair, a town had been there before but it had subsequently been razed by Enrhyll when he had first taken the throne and none had thought to rebuild it until now. Both nights were spent in quiet revelry where the minstrels provided constant entertainment and the group as a whole was encouraged to brush up on their etiquette. As usual, the constructs remained guard at the perimeter the one night and outside the door the other before they were kindly asked to move since they were frightening the potential guests. Profusely apologetic, the elementalists had sent them aloft to the top of the inn where the creatures then kept their vigil from above.

When at last they made it to Lornhaldt, it was a city much changed from when they had last seen it. It was still a vast, sprawling confusion of buildings and people, but a great many of them looked newer and the guards at the gate were more jovial than the last time. They kept a meticulous count of who came through the gate and what they arrived with but there was no searching and no suspicion as they entered. In fact, the guards, one and all, stopped to salute or bow as the occupants of the carriages were recognized. As news traveled quickly through the city, they saw more and more, that even the regular people would stop to stare or wave as they went by. Of course, the rather obvious constructs flying above their carriage did nothing to dissuade anyone that they were there either.

Graciously, the Silverbergs smiled and waved, while the minstrels did the same in the rear, all of them putting on a good show. The considerably more shy elementalists mostly hid in the carriage, working up the courage every now and then to wave at the masses which prompted great cheering when they did.

"Do you suppose they're happy to see us?" Kyuhyun asked dryly as he looked around at the other occupants who continued to stare out in wide-eyed wonder. The last time any of them had been present, Eun Mi notwithstanding, they hadn't really been able to actually enjoy the scenery. Free of duress, it really was an amazing sight and they were able to at least feel a little bit excited about being here. Several onlookers actually cried in thanks when they passed by and when nothing untoward happened, the occupants loosened up enough to wave and smile back as they made their steady and unobstructed way to the palace.

Their nervousness returned though as the crowds fell away when they were admitted to the palace gates, otherwise closed to keep out those who were not invited to the event. The massive building rose up in front of them and before they had even stopped at the front stairs to be let out of the carriages, they were all holding hands again, taking strength from each other. With practiced ease, the carriages were unloaded by a steady stream of men who poured from the front doors to assist with them and it was Commander Kwan himself who came to retrieve the Elementalists.

Politely, he opened the door of the carriage and smiled. "It is good to see you again," he assured them with a deep bow. When he stood up, he politely extended his hand to assist Eleanara first as she had been sitting in the front seat with Leeteuk. "My lady," he murmured, patiently waiting as he could see her making up her mind.

With a quick glance at the others and after a reassuring nod from Leeteuk who placed a comforting hand on her back, Eleanara nodded to herself. She accepted his hand lightly and stepped down, minding the hem of the flowing lavender dress she was wearing. "Thank you…Kwan," she finally smiled, regarding him evenly. He looked happier than the last time she had seen him and he had allowed his dark hair to grow out just a bit more so that it gave him a softer appearance. "It is good to see you too," she admitted as she reclaimed her hand and smiled warmly when Leeteuk, garbed in a fancy white shirt and dark brown pants, stepped out to join her, one hand reaching to retrieve hers and tuck it into the crook of his arm automatically.

"Kwan," Leeteuk nodded in acknowledgement and allowed a smile to pull at his lips.

"My lord," Kwan responded with another bow.

The earth elementalist put up a hand and shook his head, "Just Leeteuk. Please." When the commander smiled and nodded in understanding, he looked down at Eleanara and pulled her aside gently so the others could follow suit.

Out came Eun Mi in a vibrant yellow dress and Siwon adorned with an off-white shirt and dark blue pants. They were followed by Summer in a warm green dress and Kyuhyun who had opted for a white shirt and dark gray pants. When he saw Kwan, it appeared that he still seemed conflicted on whether to glare or smirk at the commander and so finally settled with a nod and a smirk when he laughed at himself. They had parted on decent enough terms; he could meet him on those same terms at least. Kharin, in a muted blue dress, was followed in turn by Eunhyuk who wore an off-white shirt and deep green pants, grinning the whole time.

Preceded by the Silverbergs, the elementalists and the rest of the entourage, allowed themselves to be escorted inside the palace. As they had a chance to look around nervously, their constructs floating above them persistently, they realized that all traces of Enrhyll had been erased from the halls. Nothing remained of the tyrant who had terrorized them. Instead, the walls were decorated by all manner of peaceful pictures and artistic works of art that helped to sooth those who looked upon them. The pillars had been restored and the framework rebuilt so that the cracks were no longer visible and everything felt new.

Kwan gave them a knowing smile as he looked over his shoulder and took them to the right, mindful of where they had been taken the last time. New guest rooms had been built on the opposite side of the palace and it was to those that he was guiding them. The throne room remained closed and he informed them, "His majesty is finalizing the preparations for the morrow. You will meet him at that time, but he wishes to extend his greetings to you and asks that you speak if there is anything you need while you are here." The Commander bowed low again and smiled at them warmly once more before continuing on to the guest rooms.

The new hall that had been rebuilt looked outwardly similar to the last one they had spent time in, but on entering the rooms, they found them vastly changed to reflect a considerably more humble approach. They were still spacious and filled with a great bead, a large dining table and several chairs and decorative pieces, but it felt warmer and more welcoming. The coloring of the walls was more subtle and soothing as opposed to bright and gaudy as they had been before. A personal servant was assigned to each room in case the occupants might need anything during their stay.

While there, they were given free rein of the castle with the exception of the royal chamber and the throne room for the time being. Hesitantly, the elementalists found themselves curiously drawn to explore…to see just how much things had changed. As they broke off in small groups and pairs, their nervousness continued to dissipate, replaced instead by wonder and excitement as they discovered, little by little, the library, dining hall, several recreation rooms, the ballroom which they were gently guided from due to last minute preparations, as well as an indoor garden like the Silverbergs had and lavish bathing rooms even nicer than the ones they had already thought were grand. The servants they came across were all quite happy and polite and even the guards stationed throughout were professional but eager to assist when they were asked any questions.

In pairs, they returned to their rooms and discovered, to their delight, a menu that they were free to choose from should they decide to dine in. It was an option they were more than happy to use and they spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting ready for the next. Myung Hee and Sang Kyu both came by to visit each pair and make sure they understood how things would proceed on the morrow before leaving them alone for the rest of the evening. They all enjoyed decadent baths and more succulent food before calling it for the night, curled up with their other halves.

The day of the ball was a blur as the morning and early afternoon were spent in preparation and last minute adjustments. The pairs were reluctantly split up to get changed into the celebratory attire, which only the wearer and Myung Hee had been privy too, personal servants notwithstanding. The men were guided to the ballroom first along with Sang Kyu, Sage and Hangeng. Kangin and Kibum had been allowed to go at their own pace, having little to do with the ball itself. When they entered, they were greeted by the sight of dozens upon dozens of brightly dressed nobles in various colors of gowns and suits. Their own attire (minus the hat, cape and fur trim) was fairly similar in cut but defined neatly by their shirts which were a rich, vibrant color of their own element, even Leeteuk's who had never thought brown could look so remarkable.

Within, Zhou Mi and Henry were playing along with the royal band, dressed in finer versions of the clothes they had seen them perform in already; nice dark brown pants, with crisp white undershirts and deep blue and green vests, respectively. The king was easy to spot among the crowd, bearing a thin gold circlet on his brow and dressed in tones of deep gold and red. If the clothing hadn't set him apart, then his entourage of nobles and a ring of personal advisors did, all of whom paused when the elementalists arrived. Granted, their interest may well have been for the constructs with them as the creatures drifted above the crowds lazily, looking down at the people with mild interest but little else. The creatures caused quite a stir themselves in those directly under especially and as a result, the space beneath the constructs tended to be relatively free of persons. Many were those who could be seen just pointing and staring at the well behaved creatures.

Nervously, the four men pulled at their garb and glanced at each other. This just felt odd… With a glance up at the constructs and then back down at his clothes, Eunhyuk laughed and shrugged, "At least we look the part."

"We look dumb," Kyuhyun mumbled, wishing very much that he was wearing what Henry and Zhou Mi was.

"You look very dignified," Sang Kyu assured them with a small bow as he ushered them out of the doorway.

Leeteuk bowed at the lord of Silverberg manor, "And we have you to thank for it. Your generosity has been overwhelming," he assured the older man with aplomb. His statement brought answering smiles and nods from his companions, even Kyuhyun who was still mumbling under his breath.

"Father. Isn't that Young-Jae heading this way?" Sage asked nervously as he tugged on Sang-Kyu's sleeve slightly.

The elementalists shifted to look at the King as he headed towards them and Sang-Kyu leaned down to respond. "Yes, Sage. Now remember, you must address him as Master or Lord Young-Jae." Sage nodded energetically and became visibly more nervous as they approached but before the new King could reach them, the doors they had entered opened again to admit the ladies.

Myung Hee led the pack with a glowing Amber, and just slightly less ecstatic Autumn, on either side of her. She ushered her daughters in easily and the duo disappeared into the flowing crowd effortlessly, brilliant smiles on their faces, before she turned back around and smiled encouragingly. "Come on ladies. It's alright. You look lovely," she assured them as she coaxed the women to emerge from the hallway. Only slightly more used to court politics, Eun Mi approached side by side with Summer who had been mandated to come forward by her mother. The former wore a beautiful lavender gown while the latter was elegantly draped in a soft golden coloration.

Summer and Eun Mi looked up at their companions in front of them and smiled shyly, a delicate flush creeping across both their faces as the men looked back in appreciation. They had seen them in dresses many times since living in the manor, but never like this with their hair done perfectly and adorned artfully with face paints, wearing silver and bejeweled accessories.

The pair approached the others slowly and as Summer drew near, she raised her brow at Kyuhyun, who still appeared mystified, and grumbled, "What are you staring at?"

Aware of the others waiting for a response, Kyuhyun shook himself and gave her that cocky smile before he stepped close and whispered in her ear, "You." As the others laughed when she turned bright red, Kyuhyun reached out and grabbed her hand genteelly before raising it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers as he did so.

Speechless, Summer could only beam like a little girl as her stomach filled with butterflies. Still smiling so hard her cheeks hurt, she took her place beside Kyuhyun, holding lightly to his arm.

Nervously, Eun Mi stepped up to Siwon and looked up at him from under her lashes. The water elementalist reached out to pick her chin so she would stop looking down and smiled sweetly at her, the dimple appearing in his cheek. "You look beautiful, Mi," he spoke softly and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek and then surprised her with a gentle kiss on the lips. When he stepped back, he had caged one of her hands in his and he clasped the other around it too, smiling when she mirrored the gesture.

"Thank you," she ducked her head shyly again and smiled, her other hand caressing her lips gently with her fingertips while her eyes sparkled. With Leeteuk and Eunhyuk, they waited as the other two elementalists took their time in heading out.

In the hallway, Kharin and Eleanara held each other's hands and took a deep breath. "We can do this," Kharin encouraged, nodding her head firmly. She couldn't believe that she, who was afraid of next to nothing, was having a hard time facing a bunch of nobles in a dress… A beautiful dress, but quite unlike anything she'd ever worn before.

"Sure…" Eleanara breathed quietly as she picked at the elegant fabric with her free hand. With a little help from their constructs who nudged at them from behind with their noses, the pair were pushed through the still open doors and put on the best smiles they could, taken aback by the myriad array of people already milling about within. It took them a moment to find their group but their smiles became quite genuine when they did.

Mesmerized, Leeteuk and Eunhyuk stepped forward from their group and couldn't help but stare at the gorgeous contrast if nothing else. Kharin was wearing a striking black gown with silver adornment in the chest and on the halter straps while Eleanara appeared almost sylphlike with a draping white gown. Seeing the support and appreciation in Eunhyuk's gaze, Kharin shoved Eleanara gently towards Leeteuk with a parting squeeze of her hand and stepped up to the wind elementalist. "Yes?" she asked with a teasing smile, biting her lip nervously.

"Yes," he nodded with a bright gummy smile in return, purposefully misinterpreting the one word question.

Kharin laughed anyway and traced an imaginary strand of hair over her ear. "You're hopeless," she chuckled, leaning forward and placing her forehead against his with a warm smile on her face.

"I know," he agreed, threading his fingers between hers and rising up on his toes so he could kiss her nose playfully. Kharin mock glared at him and then laughed in earnest when he pulled her back to the rest of the group, still holding to one of her hands tenderly.

Eleanara stepped up closer to Leeteuk slowly, clearly nervous and uncertain. She glanced over and saw that Kharin and Eunhyuk were smiling brightly at each other and she looked away, meeting Leeteuk's gaze again. As was not uncommon, she felt herself falling into the warm brown depths. She swallowed and smiled brilliantly, "You…you look good."

Chagrined that he hadn't said it first, Leeteuk shook himself lightly and then closed the distance between them. "You look magnificent, Nara," he assured her warmly as he brought his hand up to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers.

For a moment, they just stood there, as if uncertain what to say or do next, until Kharin rolled her eyes and stepped up behind him. "Just kiss her already," she murmured with a mischievous grin before she nudged him forward.

Surprised, Leeteuk was pushed into Eleanara who was just as startled as he was, but when he ducked his head, she raised hers to meet him and neither complained that their lips met in a tender kiss.

Her job done, Kharin grinned and nodded before returning to an amused Eunhyuk who captured her hand in his again and planted a kiss firmly on her cheek. "And you say I'm hopeless," he chuckled.

King Young-Jae approached then with an amused smile at the still embracing earth and light elementalists. "Thank you for coming, Elementalists. Neutralizer," he bowed respectfully at the group as a whole. "And to you as well, Master Silverberg, for taking care of them." He offered Sang Kyu and Myung Hee a polite nod to which they bowed in return.

With a glance at the distracted Leeteuk who normally took the lead, Kyuhyun grinned and was about to step forward before Siwon beat him to it. "The pleasure is ours," the water elementalist bowed politely and then gestured at the room and its occupants. "You have done a remarkable job in restoring this place."

Young-Jae bowed in acknowledgement and then gestured back at his own entourage. "I have had a great deal of help, but none of this would have been possible without all of your courage and strength." Considering that was true, all of the elementalists and the neutralizer simply nodded in agreement. "Please," he went on, smiling broadly at the group and noting how they held to each other, attentive and caring. "Do not let me keep you. This is a ball in your honor and the people here wish to thank you in turn. If I may be of any assistance, do not hesitate to ask. For now, though, just enjoy," he gestured towards the moving mass of people currently dancing to the stately tune that was playing. Easily, Young-Jae melted back into the crowd followed effortlessly by his own group, and left the elementalists behind.

They looked around at each other and noticed that the Silverbergs had absented themselves as well when the King had. Judging by the music, the song was winding down and they patiently waited to hear what the next one would be. When Zhou Mi and Henry prompted a sweeping ballad, the pairs let themselves be pulled into the flow of the music, except for Summer who held to Kyuhyun's hand gently but firmly. "Aren't you going to ask me to dance?" she asked with a mischievous smile, calling to mind their first dance around the campfire with Henry and Zhou Mi playing the music for them there as well.

"Should I?" he asked her archly, a smirk on his face.

Summer scowled at his answer and raised a finger to point at him, "It is only polite."

The smirk remained in place as Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and he could feel Summer getting annoyed. He glanced back at her out of the corner of his eye and when she was about to say something else to him, he pulled her close and kissed her firmly, enjoying her surprise. "Care to dance?" he asked smugly when he pulled back and effortlessly guided her unresisting form into the stream of people.

For the rest of the evening, the elementalists danced and mingled. At one point, they were startled by a small disturbance at the front door when, of all people, Marcus Frostbiter made his way into the hall with a large portion of his remaining village in tow. As was his way, he had bullied their entrance into the ball and with the elementalists to vouch for him and his party, was accepted with some reservation. The elementalists were overjoyed to see the massive man again and they exchanged many handshakes and hugs, especially since Vayna and her husband Drell had made it with the blacksmith Tierne in tow as well. They were dressed in their best, which was nothing in comparison to the nobles present, but they did not seem to care, and made themselves at home, marveling at the constructs in admiration where the rest seemed simply nervous. Marcus managed to corner Young-Jae for a time and the pair was in deep discussion for a good long while.

As for the others, they partook of the hors d'oeuvres that servants brought around on trays and danced surprisingly well with the nobles and the elementalists. There were several tables off to the side that had other foods to snack upon and several beverages that they all partook of, including a light, fruity wine that made Eleanara, Siwon, Summer and Leeteuk tipsy and giggly. The others made sure to keep an eye on them since they steered clear of it themselves, except Kyuhyun who seemed to have no such trouble with the amusing side effects. Eventually, Henry and Zhou Mi made their way to the floor and, with the rest of the Silverberg household, stole dances periodically from the elementalists and Vayna, who the minstrels both managed to make blush like a young lady again.

The ball lasted well into the wee hours of the morning and only when the King retired, did the rest of the room finally begin to empty in earnest. Those from Moorhall let themselves out, claiming they had lodging in the city already and bid farewell to the elementalists with more hugs and handshakes. At last, the tired elementalists were guided to their rooms to sleep until they woke late the next morning. They all slept in and the palace was fairly subdued the following day as everyone recovered and cleaned up from the celebration. From there, it was a matter of speaking with Young-Jae one more time before saying farewell. The loss of order in the capitol had been restored and they were no longer needed there, so they returned to Silverberg Manor.

Within the next week, they were greeted with the announcement that their new homes had been completed and furnished and were ready and waiting for them. It was a bittersweet announcement. While they would not argue that they very much wanted a space of their own, they had been treated very well and had made good friends in Silverberg manor. They were almost sad to go, but it was something they needed to do and they knew it; not only for their gracious hosts but for themselves as well.

While they could have easily ridden their constructs to Fairmeadow, they allowed Sang Kyu to have them driven there in the large coach, followed by Henry and Zhou Mi who carried the rest of what wouldn't fit on top of the main cabin. The ride wasn't particularly long, though it was fairly bumpy after getting off the main road and using the small path that had nearly been swallowed up by the countryside. All things considered, it would have been faster to fly but it was relaxing in its own way on the four day journey there.

Their arrival caused quite a stir among the locals who were unused to such crowds arriving at once, followed by strange creatures they had never seen. Everything was sorted out quickly and the villagers were assured that nothing would happen to them at all from the new residents' 'pets'. Once they were able to get the initial excitement out of their systems, the group looked over their new homes and chose who would get which one. The decisions were easy and within the hour, they were settling in, unpacking the belongings that they had been given by the King and the Silverbergs…and anyone else who thought they'd accept their gifts.

Zhou Mi and Henry agreed to stay on for at least a little while to help get things smoothed over and while they brought the villagers up to speed on the exploits of the elementalists, the group relaxed into their new homes. As the sun set on them for the first time in this place, they stood outside and held hands while they watched it sink below the horizon. Over the cliff in the distance, the sea reflected the last of the brilliance off the water in an extraordinary display of fading shades of blue, pink and orange. They took a deep breath and smiled at each other in contentment. After everything they had faced and overcome, they had come out victorious. In the end, in finding this place, they had found themselves and in so doing, had finally restored the loss of order within.


End file.
